WARDS OF THE STATE.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 October 1916, Page 7

WARDS OF THE STATE.

LICENSED' OUT TO SERVICE. STATEMENT BY EDUCATION MINISTER. Asked by a newspaper representative on Saturday, at Wellington, if he had any opinion to express in reference to the allegation that boys and girls from the industrial schools and other institutions under his control have been licensed out for domestic and other 'service—farming, and so forth—at low rates of pay, the Minister for Education (the Hon. J. A. Hanan) stated that since he had assumed control of the Education Department he had given attention to the matter in question, with the result that in a number of cases increased rates of pay and improved conditions of labor were now being secured. "The boys and girls who are thus licensed out," said the Minister, "are regarded- by me as wards of the State, over whom we ghould exercise such a guardianship as 'ivili be conducive to their best interests in life. The Education Department would fail in its duty unless its attitude towards the boys and girls who are licensed to go out into the field of labor makes it clear that we believe in such wards being fairly and reasonably remunerated for their services and properly treated in other respects." Another subject of importance to the State, which is receiving the attention of the Minister for Education, is with regard to the mental capacity of children who are licensed out for service. Mr. Hanan disapproves of those of weajv intellect or the mentally defective 'going out to service. He considers that, in the interests of the boys and girls themselves, and in the interests of the community generally, such children should I be kept at the industrial schools until arrangements can be made to place them at other Government institutions for .suitable training.