E.—4.

There was one case of pneumonia, several cases of tonsilitis and post-nasals, swollen cervical glands and anaemia, one chronic case of tubercular osteitis in the hip, and one of chronic effusion in the knee. 1 have, &c. Kmll,y 11. Smdbberg, M.8., L.R.C.P.1.. The Secretary for Education, Wellington, Medical Officer.

St. Vincent de Paul's (Girls') Industrial School, Dunedin. Sir,— Dunedin, 15th May, 1909. I beg to submit my annual report on the St. Vincent de Paul Orphanage. South Dunedin. The health of the inmates continues to be in a satisfactory condition, no cases of serious illness and no deaths having occurred during the year. The Reverend Mother and sisters manifest the greatest interest in their young charges, and are fully alive to the importance of good food, clothing, and abundance of fresh ail in the management of such an institution, a remark which applies equally to the sanitary arrangements of the Home. I have, &c, Eugene J. O'Neill, M.8., F.R.C.S.E., The Secretary for Education, Wellington. Medical Officer.

CONFERENCE.ON THE CARE OF DEPENDENT CHILDREN, llki.d at Washington, U.S.A.. i\ January, 1909. The following letter to the President of the United States is reprinted here for the reason that, as far as it touches the operations of the Education Department, it expresses very exactly tin- principles upon which the Department deals with dependent children under its control : Letter to hie President of the United States, embodying rsui Conclusions ok the Conference (in nik care ov Dependent Children, held by Invitation ok the President in Washington, D.C., 25th and 26th January, 1909. Syllabi of Conference Resolutions. 1. Home Care.—Children of worthy parents or deserving mothers should, as a rule, be kept with their parents at home. 2. Preventive Work. Society should endeavour to eradicate causes of dependency like disease. and to substitute compensation and insurance for relief. 3. Home-finding.—Homeless and neglected children, if normal, should be cared for in families when practicable. 4. Cottage System. Institutions should be on the cottage plan, with small units, as far as possible. 5. Incorporation.—Agencies caring for dependent children should be incorporated, on approval of a suitable State Board. 6. State Inspection.—The State should inspect the work of all agencies which care for dependent children. 7. INSPECTION ok EDUCATIONAL Work.— Educational work of institutions and agencies caringfor dependent children should be supervised by State educational authorities. 8. F.mis AND RECORDS.—Complete histories of dependent children and their parents should be recorded lor guidance of <-hild-caring agencies. 9. PHYSICAL Care.— Every needy child should receive the bes! medical and surgical attention, and be. instructed in health and hygiene In. Co-operation. Local child caring agencies should co-operate and establish joint bureaux of information. 11. Undesirable Legislation. Prohibitive legislation against transfer of dependent children between States should be repealed. 12. Permanent Organization. A permanent organization for work along the lines of these resolutions is desirable. 13. Federal Children's Bureau. Establishment of a Federal Children's Bureau is desirable, and enact ineiit of pending Bill is earnestly recommended. 11. pecial message to Congress favouring Federal Children's Bureau and other legislation applying above principles to District of Columbia and other Federal territory. Honourable Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States. Sir, —Having been invited by you to participate in a Conference on the Care of Dependent Children. held at Washington. 1).('.. January 25-26, 1909, and having considered at the sessions of such Conference the various phases of the subject as stated in the memorandum accompanying your letter of invitation, and such others as have been brought before us by the Executive Committee, we desire to express the very great satisfaction felt by each member of this Conference in the deep interest you have taken in the well-being of dependent children. The proper care of destitute children has indeed an important bearing upon the welfare of the nation. We now know so little about them as not even to know their number, but we know that there are in institutions about 93,000, and that many additional thousands are in foster or boarding homes. As a step, therefore, in the conservation of the' productive capacity of the people, and the preservation of high standards of citizenship, and also because each of these

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