13

E.—4.

Generally the relations of the infants provide clothing in addition. The following comparison of the rates paid during the last three years shows that the usual payment is about 10s. a week : — 1910. 1911. 1912. Under 7s. .. .. .. .. .. .. 36 :!4 23 7s. and under 10s. .. .. .. .. .. 224 232 195 10s. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 448 504 485 Over 10s. .. .. .. .. .. 97 83 71 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 exemption provide for inspection, and for removal of the infants only with due formality.

Deaths in Fostkr-homk.s. Out of the 1,228 infants under six years of age that were at one time or another on the books of the foster-homes during 1912, 12 died—that is, 0"98 per cent. Of these, 10 died in the foster-homes, and 2 in hospitals or nursing-homes to which they had been removed for treatment. Ten of the 12 were under the age of twelve months, and ten were of illegitimate birth. The following is a statement of the number of deaths in foster-homes during the time that the ini'iint-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 „ =2-11 1910 26 „ 1,183 „ =2-19 „ 1911 13 „ 1,183 „ = 1-09 1912 .. .. ..12 „ 1,228 „ =098 The percentages are given merely for illustration, for in dealing with such small numbers a percentage may, of course, have a very misleading appearance. On the average these rates are no higher than the

(19W) Aduhssious. Deaths. On the Booi :ilstDecembe ksat ir,19ia. Admissions. :ilstDecember,1912. 1 1 ji i I P 1 ! IS h 5 = e- = s e- ; g a The Orphan Home, Papatoetoe, Auckland .. .. .. 4 .. I .. .. 7 St. Mary's Maternity Home, Otahuhu, Auckland .. ..20 1 14 1 .. 1 -27 8 The Door of Hope, Auokland .. .. .. 38 24 I 11 7 l Salvation Army Maternity Home, Auckland .. .. '2 1 1 .. 1 St. Mary's Orphanage, Ponsonby, Auckland .. .. .. 7 .. .. 10 St. Joseph's Orphanage, Takapuna, Auckland .. .. S . '2 .. .. .. 17 .. l Children's Home, Remuera, Auckland .. .. .. 1 I Children's Home, Ponsonby, Auckland .. .. .. 11 .. .. .. .. ;i St. Vincent de Paul's Foundling Home, Epsom, Auokland .. 28 13 9 <i 1 1 II I 5 Mission House of the Order of the Good Shepherd, Auckland ..28 il 2 ... . 5 I I Leslie Presbyterian Orphanage, Remuera, Auckland .. .. (i .. .. .. .. . 8 Cook County Women's Guild Creche, Gisborne .. .. 21 2 -1 37 2 2 Wanganui Orphanage, Wanganui .. .. .. .. :S ( Children's Home, Palmerston North .. .. .. 1 8 St. Joseph's Orphanage, Upper Hutt, Wellington .. .. 16 .. 1 .. .. .. 14 Salvation Army Children's Home, Wellington .. . . 1 2 The Levin Memorial Home, Wellington .. .. .. 2 Home of Compassion, Wellington .. .. .. ..62 26 6 111 11 :> T> 1 r> Presbyterian Orphanage, Wellington .. .. .. 5 <) St. Mary's Orphanage, Nelson .. ...... .. 6 2 2 !) 1 Sacred Heart Orphanage, Mount Magdala, Cbristchurcli .. -I .. .. .. .. .. 10 Children's Convalescent Cottage, New Brighton .. .. to Salvation Army Maternity Home, Christchurch .. .. 8 I 8 (i 1 Nazareth House, Sydenham, Christchurch .. .. .. 25 . . .. .. .. .. -j,\ ..... St. Saviour's Home, Shirley, Christchurch .. .. .. 7 IS Presbyterian Home, Bligh's Road, Papanui .. .. .. 9 . .. .. . !l St. Mary's Orphanage, Dunedin .. .. .. . :( . . .. .. .. .. i St. Vincent de Paul's Orphanage, South Dunedin .. .11 3 1 1 .. -A>'< l 2 Karitane Home, Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. 70 (id 9 f> 5 1 10 8 2 Presbyterian Orphanage, Dunedin .. .. .. .. 8 .. .. .. .. .. 1 Salvation Army Maternity Home, Dunedin .. .. .. 31 30' 1 -2 -1 .. Hi g Salvation Army Children's Home, Middlemarch .. .. 1 .. 8 Victoria Memorial Home, Inveroargill .. .. .. 17 107 1 . 1 6 3 3 Totals for 1912 .. .. .. 484 192 62 36 22 10 430 33 29 Totals for 1911 .. .. .. 474 185 66 47 -29 7 427 48 48