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IKA HONGLONG PAINT PEN88, TUESDAY, APRIL 3RD, 1910.
THE BELILIOS REFORMATORY.
FORMAL OPENING BY HIS EXCELLENCY
THE GOVERNOR.
The reformatory at Causeway Bay provided for the colony by the munificence of the Hou. E. R. Belilios, C.M.G., was formally opened by His Excellousy the Governor (Sir Henry A. Blake, G.C.M.&.), yesterday morning in the pre- sence of the Earl Drogheda, Viscount Suirdale, the Hou. F. H. May, C.M.G., the Hoa. R. D. Ormsby, Mr. H. P. Tooker, and others. The foundation stone was laid on the 29th January, 1898, by the then Governor, Sir William Robinson, G.C.M.G., and bears an inscription to that effect, Tho premises occupy a com- manding site on a spar of Morison Hill. They have a handsome frout. The ground floor con- tains an office, a work-room, a reception room, & dining-room, and three cells. In the upper storey are threa dormitories and the Superin. tendent's quarters, which comprise five rooms. There is accommodation for about 50 boys. The building is a dvoided acquisition to the colony, and Mr. Belilios is deserving of the hearty thanks of the community for his generosity.
Mr. Galilios had provided a silver key for present to His Excellency, together with a beautifully chased silver plate. On the latter were insexbed the words:"The Belilios Re- formatory. Opened by H. L Sir Heury A Biake, GCM.G., Governor of Hongkong, 2nd April, 1900. The inscription on the key ruus as follows:-- H. E. Sir Hoary A. Blake, 6.C.M.G., Gorernor of Hongkong." On each side of the door of the principal entrance to the premises is a plate bearing the in scription-in the one care in English and in the other Chinese-"The Belilios Refor. matory. This building was erected by the Hou. E. R. Belilios, C.M.G., the ground having beon given by the Government. This reformatory was opened by t.E. Sir Henry A Blake, G.C.M.G., Governor of Hongkong, on the second of April, 1900, in the sixty- third year of the reign of Her Majesty Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Em- press of ludia."
Mr. BELILIOS said-Your Excellency, it is with sincere pleasure that I hand to you these keys with which I must ask you formally to open this institution. I regard it as a good outen for its success that two Governors of this colony have, so to speak, set their stamp apon this reformatory. On the 29th January, 1898, in the seventh year of his administration, Sir William Robinson laid the foundation-stone of the building-his last public function-and now your Excellency, his successor, will perform the seremoovy of opening it, the stone recording the fact that Sir William Robinson laid it is before us, and the plates commemorating this function performed by your Excellency will be fixed in the walls. I trust that many youthful wanderers from the paths of virtue will in this institution learn to recoguise that honesty is the best policy, and that the food won by honest toil is sweeter than stolen luxuries. Of course it will not do lo expect too much at first as the fruite of re- formatory discipline, but we may reasonably hope that when even Chinese boys are taken out of a erime-laden atmosphere, such as that prevailing in a gaol for adults, they will at least be more amenable to good influences and will at any rate escape contact with hardoned criminals who delight in corrupting the minds of those whom misfortune or a sudden step may have cast in their way. I refuse to believe that Chinese boys are wholly callons and dead to appeals to their better nature. There must be a percent. are who will strive to reform their ways when the opportunity is given to them, and to such I hope this institution will offer that chauce. It was in that belief that I engaged to erect this building, and because it seemed to me so iuex- pressibly sad that boys of tender years should be cast into Victoria Guol in association with depraved characters. This will be my last ap. pearance for some time at a noremony of this escription, for I am about to leave the eclony for a holiday which will extend over (bree years. Babiienal that others will take up the good work.
I have been able to do a little for the benefit of education, but there is a much more to be down in this aud ofuer directions by those who have the means; for the colony is developing rapidly, the population is increusing, and the residents of British and foreign origin are now settling down and bringing up families in the shadow of these grand 4 hills. If the Almighty is pleased with the means, I shall on my return, if theso wants are not then provided for, do my utmost to supply them. Meantime I hope, as i sud, to see others stop into the breach and do what is possible to advance education, decrease. crine and increase the knowledge and happines of the community. I will now ask your Ex. cellêney to declare this building open (AP- pladse.)
TU
His EXCELLENCY said-Mr. Belilios, I accept this building from you with great pleasure. I have been reading lately the account of the laying of the foundation stone of this reforma. tary by my predecessor, Sir William Robiu- son, in which he said that when money was required it was forthcoming. This question of a reformatory has been a burning que8- tion for 20 years in this colony. Twenty years ago it was brought to the notice of the tiovernment by the then Acting Police Magis- trute. From time to time it was looked into, aud in couregnauce of representations made, I think, by General Gordon the Ordinance of 1885 was passed, an amending Ordinance being passed in 1889. I find that in 1893 there was A despatch from the Secretary of State în which the latter deprecated the apathy of the Government in this matter of formatory, for it was found that those youths who were incarcerated in the common prison in Hongkong left the Gaol worse characters than they were when they entered the Goal-in fact became barlened criminals. As Sir William Robinson stated when laying the foundation stone, you, Mr. Relilios, came forward and said you would give $12,000. Plaus were prepared in accordance with your desire, but I may tell yon, ladies and gentlemen, that $12,000 was fonud to be fusufcient, and that a short fima afterwards Mr. Belilios came forward and seid bo was prepared to give what was necessary to complete the plans which were being propared. This was $18,000, which Mr. Delilios then gave and for which this building has been erected. I think the thanks of the community are due to Mr. Belilios for his munificence in this matter. A reformatory to be effective should be disciplinary and educational rather than puni tive. I do not believe myself in a reformatory conducted on prison principles. The theory of reformatories is that they recoguise the irres- ponsibility of childhood and early youth and the necessity of fellowing out the injection of Solomon, "Train up nebild in the way he should go, and when he is old be will not depart from it." If you bring up children in a reformatory on the same principles as those adopted towards prisoners you are making them prisoners for life. I remember visiting a prison in Jamaica when the Superintendent mentioned that some of the prisoners born most excellent characters whilst others had very bad characters I asked, "How do you account for that? Well," he replied, "those who bear good characters were all brought up in reformatories." The fact was that they had been so trained that they had been turnt- ed into prisoners and were unhappy under any other system than the coercion system of prison life. Therefore, I say that the reformatory system should be au edacational system, so that children would be equipped for the business of life when they left the reformatory. The thanks of the community, I say, are due to Mr. Belilios for his munificence in this matter. Ea the future many a poor Chinese lad will have to thank this reformatory for his being rescued from possible crime aul for a mental and phy- sical equipment which will enable him to lead a respectable life. On behalf of the community,. Dir. Beiilios. I thank you for this reformatory which I shall now open with the greatest plea-. sure. (Applause),
His Excellency then unlockod the door and accompanied by his party made a tour of the premises. with which he expressed himself as being well piensert,
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