EDUCATION: CHILDREN'S WELFARE AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS. [In continuation of E.-4, 1918.]

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1919 Session I, E-04

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1919 NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: CHILDREN'S WELFARE AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS. [In continuation of E.-4, 1918.]

Presentee!, to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. I.—EXTRACT FROM THE FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MINISTER OE EDUOATION (AMPLIFIED IN DETAILS).

CHILDREN'S WELFARE. Special Schools Branch, including Children's Welfare. The Special Schools Branch of the Education Department deals with an extensive field of social work which is of vital importance to the community. The functions- of the branch include provision (1) for all destitute, uncontrollable, or delinquent children and juvenile offenders committed by the Courts or admitted by private arrangement under the provisions of the Industrial Schools Act to receiving-homes, probation homes, training-farms, and industrial schools ; (2) for the maintenance and. supervision of all children who have lost both parents or the surviving parent as a result of the recent influenza epidemic ; (3) for investigation regarding the conduct, characteristics, and home conditions generally of delinquent and uncontrollable children and juvenile offenders who are brought before the Courts in each of the four centres of population, and for supervision of children admitted to probation ; (4) for the supervision of all infants under the age of six years who are maintained for -payment apart from their parents or guardians, or adopted with premium ; and (5) for the education and care of deaf, blind, or feeble-minded children over the age of six years. The following figures show the number of children under the control of the branch at the 31st December, 1918 :— Industrial schools .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,140 Juvenile probation . . . . .. .. .. .. .. 249 Infant-life protection .. .. .. .. .. .. <S(3O Special schools — Deaf .. .. .. •• .. •• •■ ..104 Feeble-minded .. .. .. .. .. 144 Total .. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 4,497

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Reforms and Improvements effected. The reforms and improvements in the system carried out during the year may be summarized as follows :— (1.) Purchase of properties in Auckland and Christchurch for the purpose of receiving-homes for children. (2.) Establishment of boys' probation homes at Wellington and Auckland. (3.) Closing of the Burnham Industrial School in accordance with reorganization scheme. (4.) Preliminary work in connection with the closing of the Boys' Trainingfarm, Nelson, as an institution for the detention, of boys of school a § e \ (5.) Establishment of cottage home on the Weraroa Estate for the reception of boys under fourteen years, and appointment of teacher as housemaster in charge of cottage. (6.) Providing at the Caversham Industrial School for the detention and training of elder girls, and also for the housing of children and young girls in a cottage home entirely separated from the main institution. (7.) Extension of scheme for the development of the farming operations in connection with the Boys' Training-farms at Weraroa and Nelson. (8.) Establishment of central office in Auckland, and provision also in Dunedin, for carrying out on improved and more economical lines the official work connected with industrial schools and receivinghomes, infant-life protection, and juvenile probation work. (9.) Appointment of Assistant Probation Officers (male) for Auckland, Wellington, and Timaru, thereby increasing the efficiency of the supervision over all juveniles on probation and of all boys placed out in situations from industrial schools and training-farms. (10.) Extension, of the boarding-out system to the Wanganui and Hawke's Bay districts involving the appointment of lady Boarding-out Officers, one at Wanganui and the other at Napier. (11.) Better supervision of children boarded out in foster-homes by providing for a second lady visiting officer. (12.) Appointment of Lady Inspector of Children's Welfare with the object of (a) co-ordinating the efforts of the numerous social agencies dealing with children and of preventing overlapping as far as possible ; (b) providing for the efficient supervision of all dependent children under fourteen years of age who are maintained apart from their parents or guardians either in private institutions or in foster-homes ; (c) inspecting orphanages and similar institutions for children. (13.) Separation of the work' connected with the supervision of infants and foster-homes licensed under the provisions of the Infants Act from the supervision of children committed by the Courts under the provisions of the Industrial Schools Act. Separate officers have been appointed as District Agents in each of the four centres for the purposes of Part Vof the Infants Act. The four officers appointed have all been selected on account of their experience and special knowledge of the feeding and care of infants. (14.) Initial preparation for the establishment of special day classes in each of the large centres for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, and for mentally backward children who are incapable of receivingefficient instruction in an ordinary public school. Uncontrollable and Delinquent Children and, Juvenile Offenders. The policy of the Department is now in the direction of supervising young delinquents and uncontrollable children in their own homes, provided that the conditions are favourable and that the conduct and characteristics of the children are not considered of such, a nature as should debar their attendance at a public school. To provide for children who, while requiring stricter disciplinary treatment

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than is generally found in the ordinary home, are quite fit to attend an ordinary public school, there is accommodation at the various receiving-homes and probation homes now fully established in each of the largest centres of population. For boys of school age who have been guilty of repeated breaches of he law, or whose general habits and conduct are such as call for a lengthy period of discipline, provision is made in a special cottage home attached to the Boys' Training-farm at Weraroa. Such boys attend a special day school on the property, and are kept apart from the elder boys in the institution. Two officers have been appointed to supervise these young lads, one of whom, a teacher, resides at the cottage home and is responsible for the training and discipline of the boys outside school hours. With adequate provision in each of the centres of population for boys of school age who are dealt with by the Courts, and with the provision at Weraroa as described in the preceding paragraphs, the need, for the institution known as the Boys' Training-farm, Nelson, for the detention and training of such boys has practically ceased to exist. Until the end of 1918 the Boys' Training-farm, Nelson, was the only available institution in New Zealand to which uncontrollable and delinquent boys from all parts of the Dominion could be admitted. The system of decentralization in respect of this work has much, to commend it. Not only (.locs it obviate the need for sending boys to Nelson from all parts of the country under police escorts, but'it prevents the congregation of a large number of similar types in the one institution. From a social point of view it is infinitely better for these boys to be provided for in smaller numbers in the more homely environments of suitable cottage homes, and the fact that a boy is not removed from his own particular district tends to preserve the family tics. Another factor, too, is the saving effected—the cost of travelling, of police escorts, and of maintaining a large institution is infinitely greater than the cost of maintaining several cottage homes throughout the Dominion. Extension of the Boarding-out System. By the appointment of lady officials as Boarding-out Officers for such districts as Nelson, Wanganui, and Hawke's Bay a somewhat similar arrangement has been introduced in connection with the boarding-out system, which, provides for the placing in selected foster-homes of destitute and dependent children who through no fault of their own are committed to the care of the State. In their respective districts these lady officers supervise not only boarded-out children committed to the care of the State, but. also all infants placed in licensed homes under the provisions of Part Vof the Infants Act, 1908. They arc also available for assisting the police and the .Magistrates in making inquiry regarding any children brought before the Courts. In all cases of commitment of children to the care of the State it is the duty of the Boarding-out Officers to provide for them temporarily, and to place them as soon as possible in suitable foster-homes in. their own districts. Such a, system has had the effect of considerably reducing the pressure on the Wellington Receiving-home, and of eliminating the necessity for sending children from Taranaki, Wanganui, and Hawke's Bay to Wellington as a preliminary to boarding out. The system is being developed in the direction of providing for the handling of all these unfortunate children by special lady officers instead of by the police, of keeping families together, and as far as practicable of preserving the ties between parents and children. The system of appointing Boarding-out Officers will, as the nesd becomes apparent, be extended to practically all the larger centres of population throughout New Zealand. It is also the intention of the Department to establish receiving-homes or cottage homes in several of the larger towns outside the four chief centres to provide temporary accommodation for the children dealt with by the Courts, for children returning from boarded-out homes, or for young people under the control of the Department who happen at any time to change their places of employment. Care of Children who lost their Parents as a Result of the Influenza Epidemic. Following on the decision of the Government that all children who lost both parents, or the. surviving parent, during the recent influenza epidemic were to be

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the charge of the Education Department, a total of 245 orphan children, including Maoris, have been dealt with up to the 30th June last. In order that the guardianship of such children might be vested in the Department it was necessary, in the absence of other suitable legal provision, to arrange for formal commitment to receiving-homes under the provisions of the Industrial Schools Act. In. the majority of cases, however, the Magistrates issued the necessary orders for formal admission without requiring the attendance of the children at the Courts. In all the cases dealt with the children have either been placed with relatives for payment or have been boarded out in suitable homes in their own districts. In no case has a child been admitted and detained at any Government institution or industrial school. It is gratifying to be able to state that the number of private homes available is far in excess of the number of children who have had to be provided for. The Department has endeavoured as far as possible to place these children in homes and under conditions corresponding as nearly as possible with the conditions under which they would have been reared had their parents survived. In dealing with these orphans it is recognized that commitment under the Industrial Schools Act should be regarded only as a means whereby the guardianship can be legally vested in the Department. Such a procedure will be obviated as soon as the legislation already prepared is passed by Parliament. All these children will be visited, at regular intervals by responsible lady officers, and will be kept under the care and protection of the Department and provided for until they arc capable of earning their own. living. Industrial and Special Training for Boys and (Jirls over Fourteen Years of Aye. A great deal lias been accomplished in the matter of placing boys and girls as apprentices to suitable trades, and of arranging for children of unusual ability to have the benefit of secondary or technical education. Considering the conditions under which the majority of these children were reared prior to their commitment under the Industrial Schools Act, it is desirable in certain cases to encourage boys to take up rural occupations, ant! for girls to be placed in good homes under capable mistresses. At the Training-farm at Weraroa boys are taught milk-testing, buttermaking, cheesemakingj general agricultural work, and market-gardening. For those boys who prefer and show aptitude for a trade or mechanical work the rudiments of bootmaking, carpentering, engine-driving, and motor-car driving are taught, and after a few months places are found for such boys with outside firms. In dealing with boys who are well conducted no great difficulties are encountered, but for boys who dislike farm-work and who will not settle down to any particular trade it is necessary to extend considerably the period of training. In many instances, if boys can lie kept at any particular trade at the school for, say, two years, there is every likelihood that if then placed with an outside firm they will remain at that trade until the period of apprenticeship has expired. In dealing with such boys it is essential, however, that they should be placed outside under normal conditions as soon as their conduct warrants such a step. Improved Met/tods and Results in connection with the Working of Farms attached lo the various Schools. The improved methods of working the lands connected with the various schools (Weraroa, Nelson, Burnham, and Otekaike) have accounted for a considerable increase in revenue during the year. For 1917 the total revenue from the sales of produce (milk, butter, cheese, pigs, sheep, vegetables, fruit, &c.) was £2,049, while for 19L8 the total was £6,324, showing an increase for the year of £4,275. Considerable development has taken place at the Boys' Training-farm, Weraroa. Additional land has been stumped and cleared, and will be brought under cultivation this season. Larger and more up-to-date pigsties have been provided, and byres providing accommodation for about eighty cows are now nearing completion. With this provision it will be possible to hand-feed and shelter the milking-herd during the cold and wet winter months. All these buildings are made of reinforced concrete, and have been built entirely with the labour available on the farm. Provision has also been made for a cheese-store attached to the cheese-factory.

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The manufacture of small cheeses has proved a very successful financial venture, and at the same time has been the means of training a number of boys who with the knowledge gained at the Training-farm are able to obtain employment in cheesefactories at good wages. The total revenue from, the sale of cheese amounted last year to £773 18s. 7d., plus home supplies to the value of £67 2s. 4d., making a total of £841 Os. lid. As soon as the extra land is available for pasturage purposes it is proposed to increase the dairy herd to about 250 head, and with the increased quantity of milk available it is estimated that with the present plant the output of cheese could easily be doubled. The following is a brief statement of the revenue derived from the Boys' Training-farm, Weraroa, for last year : — Cash Sales and Supplies issued Supplies to other and consumed at Institutions. Training-farm. £ s. d. £ s. d, £ s. d. Butter .. .. .. .. 100 19 8 101. 1 1 Cheese .. .. .. .. 77a 18 7 07 2 4 Cream .. .. .. .. 567 15 1 Milk .. .. .. .. 24.9 10 0 237 13 9 Steers .. . . .. 03 14 (i Hides .. .. .. 14 3 6 Calves .. .. .. 29 8 9 Vegetables .. .. .. .. 110 17 '1 212 12 3 Poultry and eggs .. .. .. 50 15 !J 18 9 10 Pigs .7 .. .. .. - 214 14 IL 1 10 8 Sheep (mutton,,wool, hides, &c.) .. 512 17 0 322 0 0 Orchard .. .. . . .. 2 19 39 17 10 Sales of farm-produce .. .. 88 2 2 2,790 19 3 1,003 7 9 3,794 7 0 hi addition, the value of the crops in the ground at the 3.lst March last was as follows :• - £ Maize .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 45 Mangolds .. .. .. .. .. .. ..15 Carrots .. .. .. .. .. .. ..12 Potatoes .. .. .. .. .. .. ...189 Hay .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..390 Oats .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..292 973 0 0 4,707 7 0 The expenditure for the year may be summarized briefly as follows : £ s. d. Farm-seeds, manures, railage, &c. .. .. .. .. 420 10 10 Horses, cows, pigs, and sheep .. .. .. .. 413 19 2 Orchard .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 (i 9 Market-garden .. .. .. .. .. 74 0 3 Proportion of salaries of officers . . .. .. . . 500 0 0 1,420 3 0 Total revenue .. .. .. -. . ... £3,341 4 0 From the above statement it will be seen that from the farming operations at the Boys' Training-farm, Weraroa, a net annual income of £3,341 4s. has been derived for the State. Training and Care of Elder Girls. Te Oranga Home was established in 1901 mainly for the purpose of providing for the elder girls who were removed from the Burnham industrial School when the Department decided to utilize that institution for the admission and training of boys only. In the early stages accommodation was provided at Te Oranga for about twelve girls, but as there were practically no facilities at other girls' schools throughout New Zealand for dealing with elder girls of the unruly type, or for girls of weak- morals, advantage was taken to transfer such cases to Te Oranga Home. Further provision was made at Te Oranga for such girls by the erection of a suitable brick building to accommodate about thirty-five girls. In course of time, however, it was found necessary to erect an additional building providing accommodation for a further forty girls. This building enabled the management to initiate a system

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of classification of the inmates. Up to within two years ago there were some 120 girls belonging to the Home. Of these the average number in residence varied from seventy to eighty-five, while the remainder represented the girls placed out, under supervision and subject to certain conditions, in situations or with friends. The number of girls from all parts of New Zealand actually committed through the Courts to Te Oranga Home, or transferred from gaol under the pro-visions of section 25 of the Industrial Schools Act, was comparatively small, as the following table will show :—-

Admissions to Te Oranga Home, classified according to Causes of Admission, 1901-18.

When the revision of the industrial-school system was taken in hand some two years ago the matter of the numerous transfers from other institutions to Te Oranga was fully investigated, with, the result that with more careful scrutiny of each case and by the application of different methods of treatment the numbers were reduced to a minimum. The system of placing out the better-behaved girls from Te Oranga Home was also instituted, with the result that in a few months the number in residence was reduced to about thirty. Finally, towards the latter end of 1918 the numbers in residence were reduced to about fifteen, and it was then considered feasible to cater for this small number at the Caversham Industrial School, where there was ample accommodation for more than twice this number of girls. This change was carried into effect in November last, and has worked very satisfactorily. It was anticipated, however, that a certain number of the girls who had been given a chance in situations would fail, but the percentage of failures up to the present time is small compared with the good results obtained in other cases. At the time the change was decided upon there, were some thirty girls licensed out in. situations in and around Christchurch. Adequate provision was made for the supervision of these girls by the appointment of a special officer (an ex-attendant at Te Oranga) whose duty it was to visit the girls in their situations and generally to keep in close touch with them. Of the girls transferred to Caversham —twenty-two in November last and the six sent on from Christchurch since that time —fifteen arc at present in situations and doing well ; five have been allowed, on account of good conduct, to return to their relatives ; seven, are at present in residence at Caversham, having failed to do well in situations found for them; and one has been sent to Mount Magdala Home. Of the five girls who were allowed to go to relatives three are still doing well, one of whom is now married ; one lias had to be returned after giving birth, to a child ; and one girl returned to Caversham of her own accord. Of the girls placed out in and around Christchurch and still under control, two have been committed to prison for theft; one now with relatives has given birth to a child; four have been sent on to Caversham either for bad behaviour or for absconding from their situations; and the .remainder (twenty-three) arc doing well in their situations. From the period Ist January, 1918, to 30th June, 1919, sixty-eight girls were discharged from the control of Te Oranga Home. Of these, three are at present in prison and two at the Salvation Army Home, while the remainder (sixty-three), nine of whom are now married, are doing well.

Causes of Admission. 1901,1.002. 1903. Destitute .. Vagrant . . .. I . . .. in disreputable aasooia- 4 . . I lions Not under proper con- . . ! . . ti'ol (complaint by police) Uncontrollable (coinplaint by parents) Accused or guilty of 1 ] 2 punishable offences By private arrangement Transferred from gaol 1 3 I Totals . . 7 4 4 1904.1905. 1900. .. .. 1 2 I 1 1 2 .. .. 3 3 5 6 .. .. 1 I 1 I 1907. I I I 5 1908. 7 i 1909. 1910. 1911. 2 .. 7 1 1 6 1012. 1 2 .913. i 7 1914.| 2 1 11 1015. 4 1910. 6 1917.1918. i 7 3 2 •• ! l i 3 13 12 51 2 . . 1 1 1 Is 5 2 2 .. 4 1 2 1 3 1 I 1 40 2 7. 7 7 5 6 2 7 12 4 7 I 54 I 5 9 15 14 7 4 7 0 13 15 18 13 22 !) I 5 180

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New System of purchasing Supplies, and Results. The establishment of a central store some three years ago has proved a very great financial saving to the Department. Since the establishment, goods to the value of £38,000 have'been supplied to the various institutions under the control of the Department. The estimated saving on these purchases is £.15,200, while the present wholesale value of the goods at present in stock is £7,562 over the original cost to the Department. The total saving can therefore lie set down as £22,7G2. Associated with the work of the central store, a, great deal of work- has been accomplished in the matter of standardizing materials, improvement in clothing outfits for all classes of inmates from infants to adults, .and the arranging for the making of garments in quantities in factories in .preference to the past system whereby such articles were made by seamstresses at the various institutions. Not only is the time of the seamstresses saved, but the garments now supplied are superior both as regards fit and quality. As soon as conditions are favourable the Department proposes to establish a factory of its own for the manufacture of all clothing required for children under control throughout New Zealand. The factory will be attached to one of the girls' schools, and in addition to catering for the needs of the schools will provide congenial employment and valuable training for a certain number of elder girls who desire to take up this class of work' in preference to domestic service. Summary of Revenue and Savings during the Year as compared with previous Year. £ SJaintenance of schools .. .. .. .. .. .. 6,321 Salaries .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,092 Increase, in revenue for year L9lB as compared with previous yearProm parents and others . . . . . . . . . . 3,309 Bales of produce, &c, at Government industrial schools and special schools .. .. .. ' .. 45,275 Increase in refunds from inmates'earnings .. .. .. 1,921. Total .. .. .. .. .. .. £16,921 These figures do not, of course, include the values of the properties now available for other than industrial-school purposes. For instance, Burnham, with its farm of over 1,000 acres, is estimated to be worth about £25,000 ; the buildings and property at Te Oranga Home are worth about £23,000; and the Boys' Training-farm, Nelson, with its farm of about 800 acres, is worth at least £30,000. (1.) Table showing Total Amounts paid in Salaries and for the General Maintunanctc op all Government Industrial Schools for the past-Five Years. Kill. 1015. 1916. 1917. 1918. £ £ £ £ £ Salaries .. .. .. .13,952 11,211 14,788 15,687 14,270 Maintenance .. .. .. 24,999 21,513 23,237 24,483 19,247 £38,952 £35,724 £38,025 £40,170 £33,517 Included in the figures for 1918 (£33,517) are the following non-recurring amounts on account of institutions either closed or vacated since Ist April, 1918 : — £ Burnham .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ■ ..1,941 Te Oranga Home .. .. .. .7 .. .. .. 1,046 Boys' Training-farm, Nelson .. .. .. .. .. .. 8,250 £11,237 The bulk of the savings, therefore, on account of the closing of these institutions will not be really noticeable until next year,

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(2.) Government Industrial Schools and Special Schools: Figures for 191.7 and 1918 compared. Salaries. 1917. 1918. £ £ Industrial schools .. .. .. .. ~15,687 14,270 Otckaike .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,403 £3,660 Sumner .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,981 3,854 Richmond .. .. .. .. .. ... 1,067 1,262 £24,138 £23,046 Saving, £1,092. Maintenance of Schools. 1917. 1918. £ £ Industrial schools .. .. .. .. ..24,483 19,247 Otckaike .. .. .. .. .. ..4,127 3,789 Sumner .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,858 1,795 Richmond .. .. .. .. .. ..1,672 985 £32,140 £25,816 Saving, £6,324. ===== (3.) Recoveries prom Parents and Others. 1917. 1918. £ £ Industrial schools .. ..' .. .. ..13,522 15,863 Special sohools .. .. .. .. ..3,383 2,971 Charitable Aid Boards .. .. .. .. ..15,389 16,769 £32,294 £35,603 Increase in revenue, £3,309. It may be mentioned that the recoveries from parents and others on account of industrial-school inmates for the year 1914-15 were £20,347, while the recoveries for 1917-18 were £27,835, showing an increase of £7,188. Cash Sales ok Produce prom Institutions. 1917. 1918. £ £ Industrial schools .. .. .. .. ..1,603 5,610 Otekaike .. .. .. .. .. .. 319 654 Richmond .. .. .. .. . . .. 85 5 Sumner :. . . .. . . .. . . 12 55 £2,049 £6,324 Increase in revenue, £4,275. i = — Refunds fi'imi industrial-school inmates' earnings for clothing, travelling-expenses, &c. : 1917, £3,766; 1918, £5,687 : increase, £1,921. Number of Children belonging to Industrial Schools. The total roll number of children belonging to industrial schools and receivinghomes at the 31st December, 1918, was 3,140. Of these, 1,851 were boys and 1,289 girls. The children are classified as follows : In residence. [n Government industrial schools .. .. .. .. 249 In private industrial schools .. .. .. .. .. 267 Total.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 516 Boarded outFrom Government schools (including receiving-homes) . . . . 1 ,264 From private industrial schools .. .. .. .. .. 7 Total.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,271 Placed out in situations .. .. .. .. .. .. 643 With friends on probation .. .. .. .. .. .. 438 In private institutions, hospitals, absent without leave, in prison, &c. .. 272 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,353 Grand total ~ ~• ~ ~ .. ..3,140

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Expenditure on Government Industrial Schools, Receiving-homes, and Probation Homes, 1918-19. The following figures show the expenditure in connection with Government and private industrial schools during the year:— Expenditure on Government Industrial Schools, etc., 1918-19. Gross Cost. £ £ Salaries . . .. . . . . . . .. 14,269 General upkeep ... .. ~ .. ~ .. 1.9,034 Travelling-expenses .. .. .. .. .. 2,885 Furnishings, repairs, &c. . . . . . . . . . . 2,731 38,919 Payment for children boardedjout .. .. .. .. '.. 35,560 Gross cost . . . . . . . . . . . . 74,479 Recoveries from parents and others . . . . . . . . 24,879 Sales of produce, &c. . . . . . . . . . . 5,610 Earnings of past inmates paid to Public Account .. .. 1,005 31,494 Net cost of maintenance . . . . . . . . 42,985 New building's and works .. .. .. .. .. .. 18,008 Salaries of Visiting and Probation Officers, &c. .. .. ... 3,523 Total cost .. .. .. .. . . . . £64,516 Expenditure on Private Industrial Schools, 1918-19. £ Gross cost.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,353 Recoveries .. . . . . . . .. .. . . 2,281 Net cost .. . . .. .. .. .. £72 Sales of Produce, &c, at Industrial Schools. 1917. 1918. Increase. £1,603 £5,610 £4,007 Included in the total sum recovered (£27,836) is an amount of £11,972 paid by Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards for the maintenance of 1,009 children committed to industrial schools on account of indigency. In addition, 134 inmates of private industrial schools were maintained at the expense of Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards. As these latter schools make their claims direct against the Boards, the figures are not included in this report. Section 50 of the Industrial Schools Act provides for the placing of inmates of industrial schools in situations and for part of their earnings to be placed in trust accounts in the Post Office Savings-bank. There are some two thousand such trust accounts, representing about £60,000. Though these earnings cannot be claimed as a right, in practice they are generally paid over to the persons concerned who, after passing out of the control of the schools, are able to give evidence of good character, provided that satisfactory investments for the money are shown. Admissions during the Year and the Reasons for Admission. During the year 381 children were committed to industrial schools, and an analysis of the state of these children prior to admission shows that 101 were destitute, 4 vagrants, 15 residing in disreputable surroundings, 141 not under proper control, and 84 either accused or guilty of punishable offences. Of these 381, only 101 were actually in residence at industrial schools at the end of the year, so that 280 were placed out at board, in situations, or with friends on probation, either on admission or after a short period of residence at an industrial school. Infant-life PeotFjCtion. The purpose of this system is to provide supervision and protection for infants boarded out by their parents or guardians in circumstances that might

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lead to their neglect or ill treatment. Unless licensed as a foster-parent, no person in consideration of any payment or reward may receive or take charge of an infant for the purpose of nursing or maintaining it apart from its parents or guardians for longer than seven consecutive days. "Infant " means a child under six years of age. Besides the district agents, duly appointed officers who are qualified nurses have full power to inspect the licensed homes. If necessary the Education Department may take over the maintenance of a child, recovering the cost from the parents or guardians, and the foster-parent's license may be revoked, the children in the home being otherwise provided for as the Minister may direct. Payment of a premium on the adoption of a child brings the case within the provisions of the Act. The number of homes licensed at the end of the year was 1,060, and the total number of children in them during the year was 1,349, a decrease of 12 for the year. Of this total, the number of infants under one year was 293 ; 6 children died, being 0-44 per cent, of those in the homes. Of that number, 3 died in fosterhomes and 3 in hospitals or nursing-homes to which they had been removed for treatment, so that the deaths in foster-homes represented 0-22 per cent, only of the total number dealt with. The expenditure in connection with infant-life protection for ended 31st March, 1919, was £1,194 ; for the preceding year the amount was £1,219.

SPECIAL SCHOOLS. Summary showing Comparative Cost of Upkeep at Special Schools, 1916, 1917, and 1918.

School for the Deaf, Sumner. The number of pupiis under instruction during the year is shown in the following tabulated statement: — Boys. Girls. Total. Pupils of 1917 who returned to school .. . . .. 49 41 90 Admitted early in the year .. .. .. .. 15 7 22 Admitted later .. .. .. .. .. ..5 2 7 Under instruction during the year . . .. 69 50 119 Temporarily absent all the year .. .. .. .... 2 2 Left during the year .. .. .. .. .. 8 7 15 Number expected to return in 1919 .. .. 61 43 104 The average age of the congenital deaf cases admitted was seven years and six months, which is a distinct improvement over former records, but still considerably higher than is desirable. There were five cases whose ages at the time of admission exceeded eight years, and of these one was aged ten years and six months, and another eleven years and two months. The waste of time before the commencement of their education, especially in these two cases, is greatly to be deplored. It is extremely gratifying, however, to find that in quite a number of cases application has been made by the parents of deaf children of four and five years of age to have them admitted without further delay. It is also very satisfactory to find that these parents have been taking advantage of the instructions that have been given them for the home training of their young deaf children,|with very beneficial results to the latter.

Number of Pupils maintained. Nes Maintenance Ixpenditure. Average Annual Cost per Head. School. 1916. 1917. 112 109 64 95 1917. 1918. £ £ 3,393 3,625 5,608 5,324 1,756 1,092 1918. 1916. 1916. 1917. 1918. £ s. d. £ s. d. 38 3 9 31 2 7 76 11 0 59 0 0 I I School for Deaf, Sumner Special School for Boys, Otekaikc Special School for Girls, Richmond 104 88 £ 4,277 4,902 £ s. d. 34 17 1 60 10 0 48 50 36 11 8 21 16 9

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Of the 121 pupils whose names were on the roll, 24 came from the Auckland District, 4 from Taranaki, 9 from. Hawke's Bay and Gisborne, 34 from. Wellington, 1 from Marlborough, 4 from Nelson, 1 from Westland, 26 from Canterbury, and 18 from Otago. There were twelve of the above who attended as day pupils, eight boys and four girls. The remainder boarded at the school. By the end of the year the erection of an open-air dormitory at the Boys' Home was well under way. This has been planned to accommodate thirty boys, and will entirely do away with anything in the nature of overcrowding, and should greatly promote the well-being of the boys. Steps were also taken in the direction of installing the electric light at the Boys' Home, the provision of which has been greatly needed, especially in winter-time. We are now able to obtain electric power for lighting and domestic purposes directly from the Lake Coleridge plant. A scheme is being prepared for making use of the current for cooking purposes, laundry-work, pumping, &c. The health of the pupils during the year was on the whole very good, and the school-work suffered very little on account of illness until the outbreak of the influenza epidemic in October. Several of the staff and practically all the pupils contracted the disease then, but fortunately there were no serious cases amongst them, though the school had to be closed for a week, and for some time the attendance was much below normal. Two of the cases admitted on. trial at the beginning of the year were subsequently transferred to the Special School at Otekaike, it being apparent that their condition was due not to deafness but to feebleness of intellect. Two others who had suffered from defective speech were returned to the public schools after having received a course of instruction in articulation. In addition to these cases three stammerers were treated, all of whom made good progress in overcoming their disabilities. The affliction of stammering is a very painful one to the sufferer, and is an extremely severe handicap to him in every walk in life. It is a habit which can only be cured by implanting in the mind of the sufferer correct ideas as to the mechanism of speech, and by diligent and painstaking effort on the part of the sufferer himself. Excellent advice as to the treatment of stammering and of other speech-defects may be found in the late Alexander Melville Bell's '' Principles of Speech," and in the same writer's " Faults of Speech," which are published by the Volta Bureau, Washington, D.C. It is on the lines indicated by this distinguished phonetician that the work in speech-correction at this school is carried on. In addition to the classes for woodwork that were taught at the school fifteen boys attended the Technical College for instruction in woodwork. Very creditable work was done by them. The boys also received training in gardening and in general farm-work. The girls were taught dressmaking, laundry-work, cooking, and domestic economy Some particularly good work was done by the pupils in the dressmaking class. Despite a somewhat unfavourable season, farming and gardening operations were very successfully carried on at the school, and a plentiful supply of milk, fruit, and vegetables was obtained all the year round. The total value of the home supplies thus raised, including sales of surplus produce, was £574 2s. 3d. for the year. These results are made possible by the growing of lucerne, which grows splendidly on the light sandy soil of Sumner, and supplies abundance of green fodder and of excellent hay. The lucerne plots at the school were visited during the. year and favourably commented on by visitors from all parts of the Dominion, and an exhibit of lucerne grown at the school attracted much attention at the Christchurch Agricultural and Pastoral Show. The medical inspection of schools has revealed the presence of very many partially deaf children in the public schools, and a number of such cases have been brought directly under the notice of the Director. In a number of these it has been necessary to point out to the teachers the absolute necessity of placing these children in the centre of the front row of the classes to which they may belong, in order that they may be in the most favourable position for hearing the teaches: and the other pupils. The importance of this will be apparent when it is remem-

11

E.—4

12

bered that the intensity of a sound varies in inverse proportion to the square of its distance. The tick of a watch held at 1 in. from the ear will make 1,296 times as much impression on the auditory nerve as it will at the distance of 1 yd. A child may hear quite well when seated in the front row of the class and miss nearly everything when seated farther back. Similarly a child who is deaf in one ear should be made to sit on the appropriate side of the class-room. The importance of thus making provision for partially deaf children should be impressed upon all teachers. In some cases such children have been found occupying seats in the back rows of the class-room, where their disabilities are immeasurably increased. The extent to which partial deafness interferes with education does not appear to be appreciated as much as it deserves, especially by parents, who cannot without great difficulty be made to see that a child that cannot hear the ordinary tones of the voice at a distance of a few feet is quite incapable of being taught efficiently along with normal children under public-school conditions. It is astonishing, too, how serious deafness may go undetected for years. By picking up a little skill in lip-reading and by watching the faces and the movements of the teacher and the other pupils a clever deaf child may for a time keep up more or less with the others in the class. A duller child is likely to be set down as feeble-minded or punished for wilful disobedience. Continual discouragement, aggravated by the ridicule resulting from incorrect or absurd answers to imperfectly heard questions, together with the constant effort to catch amid the clatter of the class-room the words of the teacher, may set up a serious condition of nerve-strain and an aggravation of the defective hearing. The miseries of the partially deaf child may also be increased by defects in the enunciation of the teacher or in the acoustics of the schoolroom, and even a comparatively slight degree of deafness may thus become a tremendous hindrance to education. For those deaf children who cannot, even when favourably placed in the classroom, be efficiently educated in the public schools it is proposed to make provision for them by the opening of special classes for the hard-of-hearing in each of the four centres. These classes will be regarded as branches of the School for the Deaf, as it is essential that the teachers in charge of them should have had an adequate training in the teaching of deaf children and experience in the treatment of speechdefects generally. The latter are unfortunately very common in New Zealand, as elsewhere, and should be attended to as soon as they are observed, otherwise the difficulties in the way of eradicating them will be greatly intensified. The establishment of the special classes referred to will tend to the very desirable result of reducing the already unduly large roll number at this school. An even more necessary step that has often been recommended by the Director is the opening of a separate school for young deaf children, who should be kept away from the olderpupils until they are able to express themselves by means of speech. The tendency to resort to the use of signs would then be greatly diminished. The establishment of special day classes for the hard-of-hearing and of a separate preparatory school will complete the subdivision of the present school, which for years has been larger in point of numbers than is desirable. The policy of herding the deaf together in large communities is most strongly to be condemned from an educational standpoint. The expenditure on the school for the last financial year is as follows :— £ £ Salaries and war bonus . . . . . . .. 4,202 Maintenance of pupils and sundry expenses . . .. .. 1,795 Travelling-expenses .. . . .. .. . . .. 174 Maintenance of buildings, furnishings, &c. .. . . .. 500 New buildings and works .. .. .. .. .. 384 7,055 Less — Parental contributions .. . . .. 1,295 Amounts collected from Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards 1,732 Sundry other recoveries . . .. .. .. 55 3,082 Net expenditure .. .. .. .. £3,973 The net expenditure for the year 191.7-18 was £3,393.

13

E.—4

Jubilee Institute for the Blind, Auckland. The Jubilee Institute for the Blind, Auckland, which is established as a separate institution under the provisions of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, is governed by a Board of Trustees, four of whom are appointed by the Government. Provision is made at the Institute for the education and training of adults as well as children, although the Education Department is chiefly interested in the latter. In addition to the ordinary school subjects kindergarten classes are held, and instruction is also given in music, swimming, typewriting and shorthand, sewing, knitting, beadwork, &c. Technical work and manual training form an important part of the curriculum. The boys and men receive instruction in woodwork and in several trades, such as piano-tuning, mat and basket making, &c, while the girls are taught household duties, which will be of great benefit to them when they return to their homes after completing their education in the day school. The amount paid by the Government towards the cost of training twenty-nine pupils was £759, and the amount refunded to the Government in the way of parental contributions and payments by Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards was £933. Education and Care of the Feeble-minded. The need for controlling and in the majority of cases for segregating all feebleminded children is of the utmost importance if the physical and mental standard of the race is to be preserved, and also for the protection of society generally. In fact, the ordinary community holds no place for the feeble-minded child. The parents as a rule are utterly incapable of providing for such children, who can neither derive benefit from attendance at the public school nor can associate with the normal children of the neighbourhood. In the majority of cases it is essential for the sake of the mother and the other children of the family that feeble-minded children should be removed to an institution where they can be dealt with by officers specially adapted for this purpose. The need for the segregation of girls of this type, more especially of those who have reached the age of puberty, is of very great importance. Of the cases already examined a great many are unfitted on account of their low mentality for admission to special schools, although in certain urgent cases admission has been arranged in the absence of any other means of dealing with them. The inmates of schools for feeble-minded children are given a very, simple course of instruction suited to their limited intelligence. Instruction is largely of a manual character, since these children are able to advance very slightly in the arts of reading, writing, and counting. The object of the instruction is to quicken the intelligence and dexterity of the children, so that later on they may be able to take part in some simple occupation and help to some extent in supporting themselves, and also find some interest in occupations suitable to their limited capacities. Only in very exceptional cases, if in any, can it be expected that any feeble-minded children can be brought up to a standard approximating to that of even the less efficient members of the ordinary community. It has been found that those who most closely approach the ordinary standard of intelligence and capacity run greater risks and are subject to greater dangers even than those with a very low grade of intelligence. It should be definitely known that all statements relating to alleged curing of feeble-minded children, or to their replacement in ordinary schools under ordinary instruction, or to their becoming able to take their place in the ordinary community, are really the result of a misunderstanding of the types of cases to which progress such as the above refers. Improvement referred to in such, statements has been accomplished not in the case of feebleminded children, but in the case of merely backward children who make unduly slow progress under the ordinary methods of school instruction. There are many children of this type in New Zealand, but they are not placed in schools for the feeble-minded. The available provision for feeble-minded children of an improvable type is not by any means sufficient to enable the Department to accommodate all the children offering. Steps are now being taken, however, to prepare the property known as the Boys' Training-farm, Nelson, for the reception of feebfe-minded boys under fourteen years of age, while the Special School at Otekaike will be retained

8.—4

14

as an institution for elder boys who are capable of earning at least part of their living either on the farm or garden or in the workshop. The segregation of the younger boys from the older cases is an important step in the matter of classification, and should facilitate the matter of training so far as the younger boys are concerned. The Special School at Richmond for the reception of feeble-minded girls has now been fully established, and good work is being done under capable management. The teaching staff has been strengthened by the addition of another teacher (two teachers in all), and through their efforts an improvement is noticeable in the comportment and dexterity of the children. At the Special School for Boys at Otckaike a scheme providing instruction in carpentry, bootmaking, and mat and basket making has been carried out satisfactorily during the year. The younger boys receive instruction by means of kindergarten and Montessori methods, and many of them become quite skilled at handwork. Basketmaking and matmaking are occupations that feeble-minded boys take to readily, but as the majority of them are of low vitality it is essential that occupations involving physical movement should also be available for them. Many of the elder boys assist either in the garden or orchard or on the farm. Considerable improvement has been made during the past twelve months in the methods of farming the 300-odd acres attached to the institution. The following tables show the numbers dealt with during the past year, together with particulars regarding expenditure :— Special School for Boys, Otekaihe. Numbers as at 31st December, 1918 : — In residence .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 86 Boarded out .. . . .. . . . . . . .. .. 1 Temporarily absent with friends . . .. .. . . .. 2 Service .. .. • ■ • • • • . . .. .. 2 91 Particulars of expenditure for the financial year ended 31st March, 1919 : — £ £ Salaries and war bonus .. .. .. .. .. 3,660 General maintenance .. .. .. .. .. 3,789 Travelling-expenses . . . . . . . . . . .. 344 Maintenance of buildings, furnishings, &c. .. .. .. 329 Additional buildings, furniture, &c. .. .. . . .. 172 8,294 Less — Parental contributions towards maintenance .. .. 801 Amount collected from Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards 1,516 Sundry other recoveries ' j .. .. .. .. 654 ,7 2,971 Net expenditure .. .. .. .. £5,323 Special School for Girls, Richmond. Numbers as at 31st December, 1918 : — In the school .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 On vacation .. .. ■ • .. .. .. .. 26 At service .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 53 Particulars of expenditure for the financial year ended 31st March, 1919 : — £ £ Salaries and war bonus .. .. .. .. .. 1,262 General maintenance . . .. .. .. .. . . 985 Travelling-expenses . . .. • . .. .. .. |51 Buildings, furniture, &c. .. .. . . . . .. -26 Maintenance of buildings, furnishings, &c. . . .. .. 273 2,597 Less — Parental contributions towards maintenance .. .. 511 Amount collected from Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards 989 Sundry other recoveries .. ~ .. .. 5 1,505 Net expenditure .. .. .. .. £1,092

E.—4.

No. 2.—INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL AND JUVENILE PROBATION HOME STATISTICS. Juvenile Probation System.

Table I1.—Children dealt with by the Courts in the Four Chief Centres, 1st January to 31st December, 1918.

Table I2.—Expenditure on Government Schools, 1918-19.

Table I 2a. —Government Expenditure on Private (Roman Catholic) Schools, 1918-19. dross Expenditure. £ St. Mary's, Auckland .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,814 St. Joseph's, Upper Hutt .. .. .. .. .. 244 St. Mary's, Nelson .. .. .. .. .. .. 224 St. Vincent de Paul's, Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. 75 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,357 Recoveries .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,282 Net cost .. .. .. .. .. .. £75

15

I H as' Sh 3 £ ft MS ■§ ih .a £ «j js s g 5 g 1" 3 1 PR I Ph 0> e o W a 2 j f § s, ■ S QJ ■3 fl fi pt •3 ?; ■s ■§§ M fi 6 \r% QJ be a A a I 9 O 1 CD OS i Shh CO ISO as a CHJ a 3 ft* I* s "3 o i? 1 I fl I 1 fl as I r» bll PS fi 3 a I 3 ms a 3 o a CO *c3 H Auckland Wellington Canterbury Dtago .. 149 5 36 I 59 77 1 9 .. 46 1 4 14 85 .. 19 6 357 7 68 79 7 1 19 3 1 8 .. 27 4 6 20 10 25 9 1 3 6 .. 1 3 8 .. 11 6 1 .. 1 9 3 1 1 1 i '.. i l 7 2 3 326 115 108 113 Totals 7 1 42 34 I 7 5 662 3 si Sgcfi o 1 a" na o CD ■_£ S£ afi 3 4 o j3 5 £ b 8 a a I a as ■a as . jcStsI il § a ■"< <y o I « 'a I 13 i o a rO Q H Ph i/j o O .r. a 02 o I--a fl ft 3 as a . § O cu 0) M © I pIII £2-3 <H«s °^^l 111 fas I O V 3 o ■s OS OS g*<3 SI ti-ci a a rtt-H Is. M "S U O o ft flH 4) J/3 M I Auckland .. Wellington .. Canterbury Otago 95 13 27 7 7 7 3 4 81 56 31 60 88 25 24 37 5 29 3 9 4 17 2 2 8 4 2 2 3 5 I 4 1 1 1 324 123 108 134 21 Totals .. 142 |228 174 14 j 65 689 2] 31 11

Oovernment Schools. General Maintenance (including TravellingSalaries. Provisions, expenses. Clo tiling, Farms, &c.). Furnishings, Repairs to Buildings, Small Works. New Buildings and Works. M P Cfl 4H ill PS O JS ft fi W Auckland.. .. .. .. .. 722 1,801 ■ Boys'Training-farm, Weraroa .. .. 3,579 5,856 Rocoiving-homo, Wellington .. .. 1,417 2,096 Boys'Training-farm, Nelson .. .. 4,099 4,151 Receiving-homo, Christchurch .. .. 1,063 1,869 j To Oranga Home .. .. . . 688 Or. 358 Burnham .. .. .. .. 1,055 885 Caversham .. .. .. .. 1,091 2,134 £ 722 3,579 1,417 4,099 1,063 688 [ ,055 1,091 Or. £ 1,801 5,856 2,096 4,151 1,869 358 885 2,134 145 343 462 507 127 219 107 317 £ 145 343 462 507 127 219 107 317 1, 1, Or. Or. £ 239 1,071 27 1,472 Or. 4 Or. 251 239 ,071 27 ,472 4 251 133 3,510 4,675 i,321 3,842 £ 3,510 4,675 1,321 3,842 £ 6,417 15,524 4,002 11,550 6,897 298 2,047 3,675 "l33 Probation Homos .. .. .. 555 600 555 600 658 658 44 44 4,660 4,660 6,517 Totals .. .. .. 14,269 19,034 14,269 19,034 2,885 2,885 2, 2,731 ,731 18,008 18,008 56,927 Boarding out —Payments to f ostor- parents Salaries, travelling allowances and expenses of Visiting and Probation Amount paid to Postal Department for payment of boarding-out order Sundries l Officers, &c rs o. .. 35,560 3,311 141 71 96,010 Less recoveries— Maintenance payments by parents and others Sale of farm-produce, &c. Inmates' unclaimed earnings paid to Public Account £24,879 5,610 1,005 31,494 Total net expenditure £64,516

E— 4.

Table I 2b. —Government Expenditure on the Maintenance of Inmates sent to Other Institutions, 1918-19. £ Door of Hope, Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 13 Mount Magdala, Christchurch . . .. .. .. 96 Total .. .. .. .. .. £108

Table I3. —Numbers under Control at 31st December, 1918.

Table I4. —Admissions in 1918, classified according to Causes of Admission.

16

Government Schools. Private Schools. All Schools. Particulars of Children belonging to tho Schools. 1 M 4 ' I i o° - § 3 .3 o I .2 0, hh 5 B p a > 3 9 3 : £, tS co^-3 <l o p M fe B. G. B. B. G. ill "to dp >».S w 8 s * a . '3 a a u ri a s li BO. "tews "•313 n ce i. » I §>•£?*& li I si °W I §fl» G. B. G. a cd fl 03 H tD to V.3 as •H O ■ 3 -2"s fl 3 w u O CO i-s a COS no V>d a o CO Q as _: 8 B'9 9 «a a) 60 J? o .a PQ O I *3 I B. B. B. G. B. G. G. B. G. G. In the schools Boarded out.. With friends At sorvice Under guardianship .. Committed, but on probation In hospitals, convalescent homes, &c. In probation homes .. In mental hospitals .. At School for the Deaf At Special School, Otekaike At Special Sohool, Richmond At Jubileo Institute for the Blind At refuges or cognate institutions At orphanages, cottage homes, &c. With the Expeditionary Forces In gaol Absent without leave.. 3 186 15 15 1 14 100 20 59 91 85 159 38 7 7 257 46 46 2 7 225 41 47 1 1 86 105 80 77 4 5 5 *8 22 151 13 27 3 8 108 16 55 5 3 98 12 28 21 24 84 18 68 70 1 25 8 4 71 30 14 54 1 10 5 9 3 7 2 34 "i 1 29 o 8 10 270 751 283 362 73 12 246 520 155 281 6 1 516 1,271 438 643 79 13 i •■ 3 2 2 2 2 9 5 14 1 3 1 6 2 1 13 2 1 30 10 2 13 12 3 30 *3 "a 1 1 5 2 i 1 'i i 3 4 "i *9 i i 3 1 2 2 1 2 18 18 1 1 1 4 8 7 4 3 I 30 30 1 5 1 1 2 8 1 11 10 21 1 4 4 •• i 5 18 1 3 1 i i i i i 8 22 "i 8 26 Totals .. 175 213 416 371 333 1 375 40 210 203 171 203 111 127 74 21 43 53 1,851 1,289 3,110

Govos ■nment Schools. ■ivate Schools. All SchOi >ls. Admitted as o .2 2 P d '3 H EH^ . a «pH t>io3 11 II s 18 fl* o d a o A a II :&£ as as CD « as" . 3.3 S as 2 >h J3 3 SCJSS 32 ■g.a 'as £ • O H a" 3 fi a 3 ft as' a o a 5p a SB c o 9 EH a 1 > o of a . O 3 CC 3 0.3 ca as •gsfe u P4 .cis as 3 ■4 cflpj V.3 cS.2 a s iss-g coft Cfl" ■ ° hJ!5 as A3 3«".S CDr-rrJ g 3 as a <3 a QQ B. G. B. B. n B. & R B. Q B. B. G. B. B. G. G. B. G. G. CQ O ft b "3 4= o fri G. G. is. Destitute Vagrant Bogging In disreputable associations Not under proper control (complaint by police) Uncontrollable (complaint by parents) Accused or guilty of punishable offences Transferred from gaol By private arrangement 7 2 8 32 24 1 6 1 7 8 2 1 1 1 2 1 i l 3 1 i 56 3 ii 45 1 1 4 101 4 1 15 3 i 4 2 i 17 17 10 9 10 13 11 15 1 2 9 8 6 13 76 65 141 1 1 2 2 1 6 1 7 2 2 26 1 1 43 2 1 1 2 1 2 78 6 84 i 12 3 i 7 3 1 2 1 1 i 14 10 1 3 15 13 Totals 25 12 ii 1 11 17 3 3 1 254 127 32 29 52 49 36 66 23 5 5 381

E.—4.

Table I5. —Admissions in 1918, classified according to Status at 31st December, 1918.

Table I6.—Admissions in 1918, classified according to Number in Residence at 31st December, 1918.

3—E. 4.

17

1 ci 3 '3) be ft 3 I .,3 & O ll 3 Soi * 11 Br*S J*f c | «■=,& oS-j s P«i ■gl* &#§ "gfifi ill ill i § '83 ItSS g-ng sS* 8oO fe & «1 hi a IS Totals. Status at 31at December, 1918. • b. a. G. B. G. J!. G. B. G. B. G. : B. G. B. Q. B. G. B. 0. Both Sexes. In residence Boarded out At service With friends On probation Under guardianship In probation home In hospital In mental hospital In refuges or orphanages In prison At Special School, Otekaike Missing .. , .1 Discharged by warrant . ,; Died .. 5 41 6 i 2 5 33 4 i 1 2 2 9 2 2 23 38 7 2 3 17 27 5 8 1 1 5 3 2 1 1 32 6 4 13 7 7 5 i 2 1 3 4 "a i 1 2 6 3 1 I • • 1 74 102 14 26 7 7 9 3 27 65 8 12 1 2 1 8 i 2 101 167 22 38 8 7 l 9 5 1 13 1 1 3 3 2 i i 3 1 1 1 2 5 1 1 2 3 i i 2 2 2 Totals 56 45 1 3 1 4 76 65 1 78 6 3 14 1 254 127 381 11 (i h": 10

Government Schi sols. ivate Schi tola. All Schools. Particulars of Children in Residence on 31st December, 1918. PSJ 3 ca H as 3 .i .9 2 fl <u tt p>. N fl ■3° M) MS 33 PS. aj Ste qj|P W bofl a c. -2 £ o «pH | o W fl 3 © H o £ JSJ 3 yg ■9-S II PSH a tp 3 3 I o H •d il j! B. G. I Cfl-S s o. 3 p7 c/s >. 3 t- O a] cfl OT o a •49 CO Totals ol all Schools. i o H B. G. B. B. G. B. G. B. G. B. I!. G. B. a. G. B. G. G. B. G. T, „ Both B ' G ' Sexes. Destitute Begging Vagrant Disreputable associations.. Not under control (complaint by police) Uncontrollable (complaint by parent) Accused or guilty of punishable offences Admitted by private 4 1 4 1 1 1 3 1 1 4 1 5 5 1 10 1 2 h . "s 3 7 6 7 i i7 7 2 6 i 10 1 2 6 2 10 2 23 7 17 •4 40 1 1 1 3 3 4 13 16 30 2 32 32 1 2 3 1 3 1 4 arrangement Transferred from gaol 6 6 6 6 " ! " •• Totals 2 5 26 2 25 1 1 2 ! 63 10 13 1 3 I 1 I I 11 ivl 74 27 101 10

E.—4

18

Table I7.—Admissions in 1918, classified according to Parents' Circumstances and Character.

The numbers of children admitted were —Prom Auckland, 110; Wellington, 59 ; Christchurch, 41 ; Dunedin, 29 ; Greymouth, 19 ; Petone, 16 ; Masterton, 9 ; Blenheim, 8 ; Eltham, 8 ; Hamilton, 6 ; Wanganui, 5 ; Napier, 5 ; Otahuhu, 5 ; Oamaru, 5. The records show that, of the total number of children admitted, 22 per cent, were known to be illegitimate. When children are before the Courts the Magistrates, after hearing evidence, direct in what religious denomination they are to be brought up. The orders made in 1918 show the denominations to be as follows : Anglican, 191 ; Roman Catholic, 98 ; Presbyterian, 55 ; Methodist, 22 ; Salvation Army, 8; Plymouth Brethren, 3 ; Protestant, 1 ; Mormon, 1 ; Baptist, 1 ; Church of Christ, 1.

Table I8.—Deaths, 1918.

Precede! it Coil' [ition of Cbildrei admil ied in 1! UK. Fathers described as Mothers described as 9 to 9 G fl "Eub u fl cfl h ai 2 "5 og SS £1h sac m .93 I! it co p O s * J- *■" ■T3 g fl fl O-H l I .3 a, as 3 a <sOh — >< 0.3 '-■ 43 5.1 o Q t-i do fri p as ■gia o° CD S3 ■si OJ — 3 fl o =1 «4 W 3 OSS Bfi o <U * OE tj a Qr a *■< ►> 'fi Oh a o H •n rrs . So •r 91 £& cfl 3 g Total. Dead Dead Good Questionable Bad Good Mentally unfit Bad Dead Mentally unfit Good Questionable Bad Deserter .. Unknown Dead Physically unfit Mentally unfit Good Questionable Bad Unknown Dead Mentally unfit Good Questionable Bad Good Bad Deserter .. Dead Mentally unfit Good Questionable Bad Deserter .. Unknown 9 1 2 1 1 7 5 3 5 2 2 1 3 1 17 15 9 2 1 6 3 19 1 71 12 10 2 1 13 1 7 69 41) 7 1 3 3 5 7 1 5 (i 2 12 3 8 10 7 4 4 i Physically unfit Mentally unfit 6 3 5 Good 1 9 1 13 1 2 12 3 6 2 3 l 35 4 2 5 2 . 6 Questionable .. 7 i 4 3 i 2 i 13 16 1 i 2 7 38 17 6 1 9 5 i i M »» . * Bad .. 3 2 i 3 6 i l i »» * • • • Deserter 3 6 2 5 3 6 7 2 3 3 i i Unknown 2 i 2 1 1 1 'i 2 3 i 5» * * i *t • • Totals 101 15 141 84 15 18 381

Age at Death. Status at 1 leutli. Ceftlflfed Cause ol Death. School to which belonging. Yrs. mos. 0 2 0 3 0 11 2 0 3 9 5 4 7 11 12 1 12 2 14 1 !4 4 15 9 10 7 17 3 Alexandra Home .. Board Hospital Whooping-cough and broncho-pneumonia Whooping-cough Fneumonia Gastro-enteritis and pneumonia-Broncho-pneumonia Acute meningitis Bncumonia Cellulitis of orbit Influenza during epidemic, Drowned in swimming-baths Deep-seated abscess Chronic brain degeneration.. Meningitis Accidentally killed Wellington Receiving Home. Auckland. St. Mary's, Auckland. Wellington Receiving Home. Christchurch Receiving Home. Weraroa. Auckland. Christchurch Beceiving Home. Weraroa. Auckland. Weraroa. Friends Under guardianship Hospital Mental hospital Friends

19

E.—4

Table I9.—Inmates discharged during 1918.

Under the provisions of the Industrial Schools Act, 1909, power is given for the detention beyond the age of twenty-one years of any inmate who, upon application being made to a Magistrate by the Manager of the school at tho direction of the Minister of Education, is found to be morally degenerate or otherwise not (in the public interest) a fit person to be free from control. In tho eight years since this Act came into operation there have been 76 orders issued extending the period of control, 53 of the inmates concerned being girls. The Act provides for extension for four years, and gives power to the Court on similar procedure to renew the order from time to time for a period of four years. It is expected that the number of those over whom authority beyond twentyone years will be needed will always be small in proportion to the whole number of inmates ; but the value of such an enactment in respect of the remainder who have to bo detained is obvious, both in their own interest and in that of the community at large.

Table I10. —Influenza Epidemic during 1918. Return showing number of Orphan Children taken charge of by the Department.

Particulars of Discharges, Ac, during 1918. £ M CQ ■» O fl i | fi oi o' ft o H £ V fl •< a? CQ $ ted fl o fl a at* o ft Sg j 1 MS® Aco 3.S 3 iS £ S St? asp. o oj oi fl fl Boys. a" y & . fl fl |j 2£ & o fl fl o oa" c3 35 aj" Sjsj c o fi CO 'P.9 '3 3 sg fl a CS g 3 to 0 § is 09 0> p* =rj PSS 3 CS 3 p Discharge by warrant Death Reached 21 years of^age Married Cancellation of committal order 431 323 6 11 14 8 1 .. 46 9 I .. 4 3 1 .. 498 341 '8 11 131 19 4 2 3 1 42 | 1 10 1 43 ! 1 11 92 5 10 Totals 135 | 24 I 97 10 I 'Is. Particulars of Discharges, Ac, during 1917. CO 3 43 O H fl m o s g 3 | *j OT « ft cop I'd .3° H its 3 pi O 3 aj !z| « OT a" Sja a o Ii »3 •ii-g 6 -3 as o ft o B CS tSD 3 ir O a" cs U U (fi "3 cs Ph o fl E> ri OT Discharge by warrant Death .. Reached 21 yoars of age Married Cancellation of committal order .. Totals .. 108 6 .. 37 4 2 .. 157 8 3 7 1 9 3 5 1 2 5 5 1 6 61 6 4 20 6 1 2 2 I 20 10 3 8 5 11 71 26

District. Under 5 Years of Age. Between 5 Years and Between 10 Years 10 Years. and 16 Years. Total. Auckland Wellington Hawke's Bay Taranaki Nelson and West Coast Canterbury Otago 41 II 1 I 1 3 10 63 14 4 2 3 1 10 48 8 4 2 4 5 9 152 33 9 5 8 9 29 All districts 68 97 80 245

E.—4.

No. 3. -COSTLEY TEAINING INS T IT UTI O N. Balance-sheet for Year ending 31st December, 1918. Assets. £ s. d. Liabilities. £ s. d. Mortgages as per list .. .. 18,620 0 0 Costley bequest .. .. .. 12,150 0 0 Accrued interest .. .. .. 179 2 1 Hodge bequest .. .. .. 742 3 9 War-loan stock .. .. .. 1,000 0 0 Revenue Account as below .. .. 7,512 1711 Cash in bank .. .. .. 10 7 Cash at Jackson, Russell, Tunks, and Ostler .. .. .. .. 604 19 0 £20,405 1 8 £20,405 1 8 Revenue Account. Cr. £ s. d. Dr. £ s. d. By Balanco, Ist January, 1918 .. [6,473 10 0 To Maintenance Account .. .. 33 10 0 Interest received .. .. .. |l, 118 911 Expenses .. .. .. 45 12 0 Balance carried forward .. .. 7,512 17 11 £7,591 19 11 £7,591 19 11

No. 4.—INFANT-LIFE-PROTECTION STATISTICS.

Particulars of Children admitted to and removed from Licensed Foster-homes during 1918.

Foster-homes. The 860 infants in foster-homes at the end of the year were distributed as follows : — In 510 homes each having one .. .. .. .. .. 510 In 94 „ two .. .. .. .. .. 188 In 34 ~ three .. .. .. ..102 In 7 „ four . . .. .. .. .. '28 In 2 „ five .. .. .. .. ..10 In 1 „ six .. .. .. .. .. 6 In 2 „ eight.. .. .. .. ..16 650 860 Twenty-four of the homes were those in which children under six were boarded out by Charitable Aid Boards. The total number of licensed homes was 1,060, so that at the end of the year there were 410 licensed homes in which for the time being no infants were boarded.

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J & 6 to<l rj 0 h *M ■5 ° A fH Hi TJ CD fl sp rt<J rH 3 ° 0 m ID H pq CO a w> c« hJ) <M «+H fl° CD U n s? i tH fl 60 C5 1) CO HH 3 ° S BQ <D E-t * S3 ■Si* pq IO <T3 © fl 60 C8<tj h* HH fl° C M CD *H £ S3 f£ m to 13 6 a m rtj <q iO«-i 3 ° rvj t-i ft* m CO i >H So (O <l tH MH J» Jfc -S O o Eh 'laced in licensed homes during 201 the year Vithdrawn from homes — Removed by parents or 26 guardians Deaths .. .. .. 1 Adoptions without premiums 4 In homes to which exemption 1 was granted Brought under the operation 3 of the Industrial Schools Act Written off the books for 1 various causes 77 79 55 33 25 14 1 485 26 50 84 75 36 24 18 11 324 1 4 1 3 5 1 14 6 1 5 1 1 3 2 1 6 1 40 4 3 3 8 4 4 1 3 26 1 3 6 4 8 4 4 59 89 Totals .. .. 36 36 65 112 1 89 55 33 25 74 489 )n the books at 31st December, 94 1918 94 98 179 141 118 95 67 68 860

E.—4.

Rates op Payment to Foster-parents by Parents or Guardians. An acoount of the rates paid is given in the following statement:— 1 at the rate of 2s. 6d. per week. 131 at the rate of 12s. 6d. per week. 9 „ ss. „ 6 „ 14s. 1 „ 6s. ~ 1 „ 14s. 6d. ~ 3 „ 7s. ~ 71 „ 15s. 26 „ 7s. 6d. „ 1 „ 17s. 17 „ Bs. „ 7 „ 20s. , 1 „ Bs. 6d. „ 1 „ 21s. 5 „ 9s. „ 1 „ - 30s. 502 „ 10s. „ 1 „ 355. 11 „ 10s. 6d. „ 1 „ 425. 6 „ lis. „ 22 adopted, with premium (10s. per week). 56 „ 12s. The following comparison of the rates paid during the last five years shows that the usual payment is about 10s. per week :— 1913. 1914. 1915. 1916. 1917. 1918. Under 7s. per week ... 24 29 22 31 19 11 7s, and under 10s. per week 161 163 153 128 75 52 10s. per week ... ... 482 596 566 539 532 502 Over 10s. per week ... 91 120 137 143 215 294 Exempted Institutions. From the provision that " it shall not be lawful for any person in consideration of any payment or reward to receive or retain in his care or charge any infant for the purpose of nursing or maintaining it apart from its parents or guardians for a longer period than seven consecutive days unless such person is licensed as a foster-parent " the Minister may grant certain exemptions, and under this authority exemption has been granted to the institutions set forth in the following list, which shows also the'numbers dealt with and the deaths. The conditions of the exemptions provide for inspection, and for removal of the infants only with due formality.

21

A. CO jg +3 n . O a) C£S^ tj a 0 (1.) traissii 1918. SUB, leatbs. On the Books at 31st December, 19J8. Narao of Institution. C5 , II 1 as tj as a-ti ca MP CD O 5 a as p as a is a 43 O -"Ssi < a-r-s E-H-.S (3.) CIS fl a S 6 a m ■j-,< S) o TJ a P (4) CM CO h m a a P* -a jjj (5.) (6.) a S . a ■ fl Ij as qjjn •g 2 S ofS g, §3 . . Q C4_l , 1 JJ ho o h= as a SS on P B" fcH'S (7.) (8.) (9.) Salvation Army Boys' Home, Russell St. Mary's Industrial School (Girls' Branoh), Auckland St. Joseph's Orphanage, Takapuna, Auokland Mission House of the Order of tho Good Shepherd, Auckland .. Orphan Home, Papatoetoe, Auokland Children's Home, Ponsonby, Auokland Methodist Orphanage, Mount Albert, Auckland Leslie Orphanage, Remuora, Auckland Manurewa Children's Home, Auokland St. Mary's Home, Otahuhu, Auokland Salvation Army Orphanage, "The Grange," Heme Bay, Auokland Salvation Army Maternity Home, Auokland Cook County Women's Guild Creohe, Gisborne Salvation Army Samaritan Home, Gisborne.. Children's Home, Palmerston North Salvation Army Bethany Home, Napier Wanganui Orphanage, Gonville, Wanganui Salvation Army Boys' Home, Eltham, Taranaki Presbyterian Orphanage, Berhampore, Wellington Levin Memorial Home, Wellington.. St. Joseph's Orphanage, Upper Hutt, Wellington Home of Compassion, Island Bay, Wellington Salvation Army Girls' Home, Owen Street, Wellington Salvation Army Boys' Home, Island Bay, Wellington St. Mary's Orphanage, Nelson Nazareth House, Christohuroh Sacred Heart Orphanage, Mount Magdala, Christohuroh St. Saviour's Home, Shirley, Christohuroh Methodist Orphanage, Papanui, Christchurch Salvation Army Maternity Home, Christohuroh Presbyterian Orphanage, Papanui, Christohuroh Children's Convalescent Cottage, New Brighton, Christchurch St. Saviour's Orphanage for Boys, Otipua Road, Timaru Salvation Army Boys' Home, Temuka, Canterbury St. Mary's Orphanage, Mornington, Dunedin St. Vinoent de Paul's Orphanage, South Dunedin Glendining Home, Anderson's Bay, Dunedin ... Salvation Army Home, 15 Dunblane Street, Roslyn, Dunedin Salvation Army Home, Middlemaroh, Otago Presbyterian Orphanage, Gordon Street, Inveroargill Victoria Memorial Home, Inveroargill 3 ii 53 2 11 ii 3 3 2 5 14 •I 30 6 21 4 1 22 53 56 3 3 8 1 20 1 25 29 *2 4 2 1 I i i 4 1 4 7 ii 21 2 i 6 3 8 25 18 28 5 21 2 11 9 24 2 21 19 5 7 5 4 21 2 45 56 1 4 12 34 20 21 3 i 3 7 1 15 14 10 3 1 19 77 4 7 1 1 5 7 7 2 16 18 4 7 10 15 io i 35 11 13 10 12 26 14 7 8 10 4 1 io i 1 4 Totals 95 46 534 8 3 15 47 20 573

X—4

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Deaths in Foster-homes. Of the 1,341 infants that were at one time or another on the books as being in foster-homes during 1918, six died ; of these, three died in tho foster-homes and three in hospitals to which they had been removed for treatment, so that the deaths in foster-homos represented 0-22 per cent, of the total number dealt with. Four of the six were under the age of twelve months, and three were of illegitimate birth. The following is a statement of the number of deaths during the time that the infant-life-protection system has been in the Department's charge : — 1908 .. .. .. .. 26 deaths out of 1,017 infants = 2-56 per cent. 1909 .. .. .. ..25 „ 1,181 „ =211 1910 .. .. .. ..26 „ 1,183 „ =2-19 1911 .. .. .. ..13 „ 1,183 „ =1-09 1912 12 „ 1,228 „ =0-98 1913 .. .. .. ..13 „ 1,330 „ =098 1914 .. .. .. ..20 „ 1,423 „ =140 1915 .. .. .. ..14 „ 1,440 „ =0-98 1916 .. .. t. ..17 „ 1,250 „ = 1-36 1917 .. .. .. ..12 „ 1,361 „ =0-88 1918 .. .. .. ..6 „ 1,349 „ =0-44 Deaths in Exempted Institutions. These, with othor particulars, are shown in the foregoing table relating to exempted institutions. The following is a statement of the deaths during the eight years in which a record of the deaths has been kept: — 1911 .. .. 47 deaths out of 899 infants dealt with = 5-23 per cent. 1912 .. ..36 „ 911 „ =3-95 1913 .. .. 18 „ 984 „ = 1-82 1914 .. .. 37 „ 944 „ =3-91 1915 .. ..11 „ 1,026 „ =1-08 1916 .. ..9 „ 939 „ =0-96 1917 .. ..15 „ 1,136 „ =1-32 1918 .. ..15 „ 955 „ =1-57 Adoptions during the Year 1918. During 1918 one order was made cancelling a previous order of adoption. During the year 280 orders of adoption were made; 22 of the adoption orders provided for premiums, and 258 were without monetary consideration. The following shows the ages of the adopted children : —

The amount of the premiums ranged from £10 to £100.

Age. With Pi With Premium. , Without Premium.' I Tomium a. h , Without Pr remiun Total. fader 6 months letween 6 months and 12 months ,, 1 and 2 years 2 „ 3 „ .. 3 „ 4 „ .. 4 „ 5 „ . .. 5 „ 6 „ .. 6 „ 7 ,, .. 7 „ 8 „ .. 8 „ 9 „ .. 9 „ 10 „ „ 10 „ 11 „ .. „ 11 „ 12 „ .. „ 12 „ 13 „ .. „ 13 „ 14 „ .. „ 14 „ 15 „ ( j 9 3 5 1 1 i i 9 3 5 1 1 i i l 65 27 32 31 25 16 7 10 11 7 6 3 7 2 3 6 65 27 32 31 25 16 7 10 11 7 6 3 7 2 3 6 74 30 37 32 26 16 8 10 12 7 7 3 7 2 3 6 l 2! 22 !2 258 258 280 The adopting persons were — Husband and wife jointly .. Widow .. . Widower Spinster 267 4 5 4 280

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8.—4

Illegitimacy.

Afproximatf Coit of Paptr. —Preparation not given ; printing (1,475 copies), £:!2 lOi.

Authority : Marcus P. Marks, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9l9.

Price 9d.]

Provincial Districts. Illegitimate Births registered during 1918. Number of Illegitimate Children aged Twelve Montis or less brought under the Aot during 1918. lucklund .. 'aranaki .. lawke's Bay Wellington larlborough r elson Vestland .. ianterbury 361 37 68 334 20 32 11 169 102 45 I 1 \ ! I I 33 60 2 54 32 )tago iouthland.. Totals for 1918 1,179 181 Totals for 1917 1,158 207