4

E.—4

The number of boys will soon be about seventy, and the cost of maintenance per head will then be considerably reduced. (The cosi per head in the Parental School at Chicago, U.S.A., was £70 ss. 2d. in 1906.) Children under State (riiardianship. During 1909 the numbers under the control of all the industrial schools lose from 2/263 to 2,380. Of the latter number, 420 wore in residence ai Government schools, and 351 in the private (Roman Catholic) schools. The remaining 1,609 were non-resident, 770 being boarded out with foster-parents (10 without payment) and 839 being at service, with friends on probation, &c. The numbers of children on the books at the end of the years 1908 and 1909 respectively whose maintenance was a charge against the public funds were as follows : — 1908. 1909. Boarded out from Government schools ... .. ... 718 757 Boarded out from private schools ... ... ... 7 3 Number resident at schools ... ■ ... 792 771 At other institutions ... ... ••• ■•■ •■■ 40 .!.i Total ... ... ... ... ... 1,557 1,566 1908. 1909. £ s. d. ',£ s. d. The amount of parental contributions was ... 5,604 6 7 5,786 8 5 Rate per head for children maintained ... 3 12 0 3 13 II Details respecting the numbers of children on the books of industrial schools at the end of the year are given in E. 4, " Special Schools and Infant-life Pro tection," Tables H and H4. The net expenditure on acount of industrial schools during the year showed a decrease of £97 15s. 10d. as compared with the preceding year. The following statement gives particulars: — 1908 . 190 9. i .-. d. I c. d. Cost of maintenance of schools ... ... 19,487 9 '2 19,831 5 2 Boarding out (exclusive of cost of administration, inspection, &c.) ... ... •■■ • •■ 13,001 12 I J 3,31!) 0 6 Salaries 7,612 18 6 8,151 3 8 New buildings ... ... ••• 6,328 2 2 5,838 2 0 Salaries, travelling-allowances, and expenses of certain departmental officers (Inspectors, visiting officers, &o.) ... ... .. .-• 1,545 1 5 1,424 14 9 Sundry payments ... ... ... ■ ■• 418 4 7 186 15 0 Gross total 48,393 8 2 48,751 1 1 Recoveries 14,737 19 4 15,193 8 1 Nei cost ... ... ■■■ ■■• ••• 33,055 8 10 33,557 13 0 Further details of the expenditure on industrial schools during the year are contained in E.-4, "Special Schools-and Infant-life Protection," Tables 111, H2, and H3. Payments by Charitable Aid Hoards for maiuton- 1908. 1909. anoe of children who oame into Government schools owing to indigence (included in the I s. d. E s. d. total sum recovered) ... ... •■■ 8,376 7 8 8,612 1(? 3 Number of children at the end of the year belonging to Government schools who were so paid for 542 596 Number maintained a< the expense of Charitable Aid Boards at private industrial schools ... 162 132 The amount paid by the Charitable Aid Boards on account of children sent to the private industrial schools as indigent is not stated here, as the managers of these schools make their claims upon the Boards without reference to the Education Department,