The Home Of Our Boys.

THE HOME OF OUR BOYS .

WE are pleased to know another and a most important step has been taken towards the removal of the Boys' School from its present quarters at Wood Green . The Council has received authority to negotiate the sale of the existing property , and no doubt will at once set to work to find a purchaser for the land held by the Institution , which , in view of the

rapid growth of the district , should realise a good price , as the site is particularly suited for the erection of small houses , with which indeed the School is now almost surrounded . When the Earl of Lathom—on the occasion of his presidency at last year's Festivalurged the desirability of finding a new home for the

pupils of the Boys' Institution his remarks were generally approved throughout the Craft . As we said at the time , there are many reasons to urge in favour of a removal , and few to advance on the opposite side . We think all will agree the neighbourhood of Wood Green has very few attractions at the present time for such an institution as is required by the Craft , taken in comparison with the more open

and salubrious localities which are to be found elsewhere . We do not mean that Wood Green has lost all its charms , happily it retains many attractions , and no doubt will become even more popular as a . suburban resort , but it is certainlv undesirable to

have a home for between 200 and 300 growing lads , on the borders of the great metropolis , when fresher and purer air can be secured a few miles further away at an even cheaper rate , when once the expenses of building and removal are disposed of , and in a case like this we imagine the Craft will be ready to make some particular effort to provide the special funds

required for these purposes . In the last Balance Sheet of the Institution the land and buildings at Wood Green are set down , on the valuation of the Provisional Sub ( Finance ) Committee , made 31 st December 1889 , at £ 30 , 400 , but for the purposes of considering the position in which the Institution stands at the present time in regard to its property it will be best to consult the Eeport of

the Committee of Investigation , presented to the Quarterly Court of the Institution held in April 1889 . From this Eeport we learn that" the School buildings and premises occupy a site of a little over fourteen acres , which cost about £ 9000 . The expenditure for the new buildings thereon has been about £ 85 , 000 ; viz ., for the main School and Infirmary , £ 66 , 000 ; and for the Preparatorv School . £ 19 . 000 . " Sin ™

that Eeport was presented other amounts have been expended on the buildings , notably £ 2183 16 s 7 d tmring 1890 for urgent sanitary reforms , but we do not imagine those reforms will realise much if the property is sold ; indeed , the Institution will probably not receive much beyond the value of the land on 111 £ , !? ings stand when the sale is effected , wiess the buildings are found to be suitable for

The Home Of Our Boys.

manufacturing purposes—and the neighbourhood of Wood Green is gradually becoming an important centre in this particular . We should imagine the fourteen acres of land will now realise more than the £ 9000 originally paid for it , but what the Craft will receive in return for the £ 85 , 000 spent in bricks and mortar is very problematic . Still , even if the whole of that sum be sacrificed for the purpose of securing

better and more desirable accommodation it will not be all loss , and in a few years the matter may really be expected to adjust itself . It must be borne in mind that the £ 85 , 000 expended on buildings at Wood Green has been spread over a long period , while a considerable portion of the amount has been spent

in making additions ancl alterations to existing buildings—always an expensive operation—and in this case running the total cost up to a very considerable sum beyond what would be required to provide similar accommodation elsewhere , if built at one time , and with a full knowledge of the actual requirements . We must not put the loss on the existing buildingsprovided they have to be sacrificed—at the £ 85 , 000

that has been expended upon them , but rather at the amount it will cost to erect suitable premises , of equal capacity on the new site , —wherever that may be decided upon . We presume there are some among us who will prefer to wait and find a purchaser for the existing property before taking any action towards the acquisition of a new site , or even endeavouring to

find out what is most suitable . We do not advise such a course . The Institution recognises it is desirable to get away from Wood Green , and such being the case the sooner a new home is decided upon the better . We all know that the property at Wood Green can be sold , and it is just as likely to realise as much if disposed of , say , within a

twelvemonth as if allowed to hang on hand for years . We do not by any means recommend an inlmediate forced sale , but can see little good waiting in a sort of Micawber-like fashion for something to turn up which may never happen , and which will only cause a feeling of uncertainty as to the future which will ant dfit , rimfintn , llv to the best interests of tha

Charity . One of the first actions of the Council will probably be to invite suggestions as to where the new Schools shall be erected , and then will come considerations as to which is the best form to adopt in deciding on the new buildings . Other Institutions have found it desirable to erect a- number of smaller buildings rather than one or two large ones , and we

should like to hear the opinions of those in favour of the different systems . It is none too early to discuss the form to be adopted for our new home , although nothing is yet definitely settled as to vacating the old one , or where the new one shall be located . One thing seems clear to us , whatever is done should be undertaken with the idea that the buildings of to-day are not to be erected on the principle that they will do for the future , for we can well imagine that even