27

H.—ll

THE "SEDGWICK BOYS." At the close of last year only twenty-nine of the fifty boys brought to New Zealand by Mr. T. E. Sedgwick, of London, were under the control of the Department, ten having attained their majority, one having died, and the remaining ten having "cleared out." In terms of the agreement made between Mr. Sedgwick, the Department, and the boys the whole of the boys became free of the Department's control at the end of January last. Steps were taken to balance the lads' accounts and to pay over to them the amounts placed to their credit; at the close of the year (31st March) the accounts had either been closed or were in progress of settlement. In one instance settlement has been delayed on account of misbehaviour of the boy and of a feeling of distrust on the part of the Department that the earnings of the boy (some £30-odd) might lie wasted. The earnings banked on behalf of the lads during the three years' term totalled £2,462. r lhe following list shows the amounts handed over to the boys at the age of twenty-one years or at the termination of the agreements :— Earnings hanked to Credit of Boys. 2 boys .. .. .. .. .. Over £100 each. 5 „ . . .. .. .. . . Between £80 and £100 each. 13 „ .. .. .. .. .. £60 „ £80 9 „ „ £40 „ £60 „ 21 „ .. .. .. .. .. ~ £40 „ under „ The actual earnings were a great deal larger, as, in addition to paying all expenses of transit from London to New Zealand, the majority of the boys also paid for necessary clothing, annual holiday, travelling-expenses between one job and another, Christmas presents and monetary gifts to relatives in England, &o. The boys also received, on an average, 2s. 6d. per week pocketmoney during the term served. Of the twenty-two boys who, being under eighteen years of age on arrival in New Zealand, served the full three years the total amount actually earned was £2,448 10s. 3d. (average, £111 6s.*). This includes clothing paid for by employers (average, £8 per year) and pocketmoney (£6 10s. per year). The following is a typical statement of the earnings and expenses of one of the boys :— Credits. r. B . d. a .-. d. Wages paid into Savings-bank .. .. .. 65 14 0 Interest .. .. .. .. .. ..260 Cash payment of pocket-money (average 2s. 6d. per week) 19 10 0 Clothing supplied by employer (approximately) .. .. 24 0 0 11l 10 0 Debits. Fare to New Zealand (includes railway fares to position in New Zealand) .. .. .. .. 10 0 0 Christmas-box to parents in England, 1911 .. .. 2 0 6 Horse and trappings .. .. .. 14 0 0 Holiday (two weeks) .. .. .. ..500 Watch .. .. .. .. .. .. 0 15 0 Transfer expenses to new position .. .. .. 19 6 Christmas box to parents, 1912 .. .. .. 309 Sundries .. .. .. .. .. .. 010 6 36 16 3 Credit balance .. .. .. .. .. £74 13 9 In last year's report the forty-nine boys were classified into three groups : (a) Thirty-five who made good progress and gave the Department no trouble; (b) five whose conduct had not been entirely satisfactory, but who, is was expected, would improve; and (c) nine whose conduct was so unsatisfactory that it was unlikely they would prove successful. The twenty-nine boys who were in the Department's care during the past year were almost all in the first group; one of the boys showed a tendency to change his employment rather frequently, and finally took service as a driver in a town without first having obtained the Department's consent; he has, however, since returned to farm employment. During a visit to the Dominion in December last Mr. Sedgwick made a close study of the experiment from the files of the Department and by means of personal visits to several of the farmers and boys concerned. Before leaving New Zealand Mr. Sedgwdck expressed his appreciation of the work done by the Department.

* This equalled £37 2s. each per annum, or nearly los. per week.