H.-22.

Salvation Army Maternity Home, Duned/in. This Home was visited twice during the year. On the first occasion there was, especially in the dormitories, considerable overcrowding, but on my second visit I was glad to. see that bed's had been moved out of the upstairs rooms to one downstairs, and they were now much more airy. The girls were engaged in needlework and the care of the babies, which were all outside. The number of inmates on the 10th March was 9 girls and 11 babies. Door of Hope, Auckland. This Home for single girls is a very well-conducted place under the auspices of a committee of ladies. Miss Hutchinson, the Matron, exercises a good reforming influence over the girls, and many of them turn out quite well in after-life. It has been visited twice during the year, and each time was in excellent order. The girls work at a little laundry-work, and are also taught some household duties and cooking. There were 14 girls in. One awaiting confinement was to be attended by the nurses from St. Helens Hospital, there being no resident midwife. St. Mary's, Otahuhu. A similar Home to the above, and conducted under the Church of England, but non-sectarian in the inmates. Here the girls are kept for six months or a year, and are taught housework of all kinds in a very thorough way. They are placed in situations, and encouraged to return to the Home for their holidays and to correspond with the Superintendent. Miss Hudson has a great influence over the girls. The charity is not limited to girls who have only once fallen, but any are taken "who are likely to benefit by the teaching and care, so long as they are not confirmed in evil habits. The maternity part of the establishment is managed by a registered midwife, and a doctor attends when called upon. The place was in most excellent order when visited. From 20 to 30 girls are received. Victoria Home, Invercargill. This is a small Home for single girls with their first babies, and thej - are expected to stay for six months, when places are found for the girls and homes for the babies. They do a little laundrywork and gardening. There were 5 girls in at the time of my visit, with their babies. Linwood Refuge, Christchurch. This Home is under the Church of England, but is non-sectarian as regards inmates. Mrs. Scott is Honorary Superintendent. The girls are kept here for six months, or longer if possible. They do a little laundry-work. They are well cared for, and situations found for them, if possible with their infants. There were 16 girls in at the time of my last visit, and 14 babies. The Matron was absent for her holidays, and the nurse in charge of the maternity work had just left, so that the place was not in quite such good order as usual. This institution is recognised as a training-school for midwifery examination, giving the practical work under a registered midwife and -a doctor, and the pupils attending the St. Helens .lectures. One pupil is at present going through her course there. "The Private Hospitals Act, 1908." Since the last report on the working of this Act the time has expired for which the licenses for private hospitals granted under " The Public Health Amendment Act, 1903," were extended. As no qualification of nurses' or midwives' training and registration was required under that Act, many of the people holding licenses, being neither registered nurses nor midwives, were not eligible as licensees under the new Act, but were allowed a year of grace in which to make arrangements to comply with the regulations, and, if possible, to procure the services of a registered nurse or midwife as manager. A copy of the regulations was sent in June, 1907, to every holder of a license, these to come into force on the Ist May, 1908. New licenses were generally not issued except to those qualified to hold them, but, as it was found that to enforce the new law strictly at first in the country places would have caused great hardship to the residents, arrangements were made in places where there was no private nursing home eligible for registration under the Act, with a doctor in the neighbourhood to assume the responsibility of manager. A few new licenses were also issued under this arrangement, when it appeared necessary to provide accommodation for country patients. In the towns, as there were sufficient private hospitals for both general and maternity cases, there was no occasion to relax the regulations. On inspection, a very large number of the houses licensed proved to have accommodation for one patient only, and as these do not come under the heading of " private hospital," unless two patientare received during the month, a great many women otherwise not eligible to receive a new license are still able to continue to do as much work as they did before, some receiving not more than three or four patients in the year. These are almost all maternity homes, every woman who took an occasional patient having considered it necessary to obtain a license.

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