8.—4

8

there were 16 children at assisted service; at present there are 24. "Assisted service" generally refers to apprenticeship. At the end of 1919 there were 5 Children receiving higher education — 4 secondary, 1 technical ; at present there are 16 receiving higher education —8 secondary and 8 technical. In addition a considerable number of children over the age of fourteen years are still attending the public schools and being maintained by the Department. Nature op Employment at 31st December, 1919, of Boys who have left Primary School. There were 455 farm-workers, 29 skilled in dairy and cheesemaking, and 426 others competent to milk or to carry out general farm-work. There were 35 boys apprenticed, as follows : 2 cabinetmakers, 1 coachbuilder, 1 draper, 2 electrical engineers, 3 carpenters, 7 bootmakers, 2 grocers, 1 boatbuilder, 3 basketmakers, 2 blacksmiths, 1 foundry-worker, 2 plumbers, 6 printers, 1 motor-trimmer, and 1 moulder. Boys otherwise employed (not apprenticed) totalled 1.09, as follows : 1 saddler, 2 painters, 1 grocer, 1 cabinetmaker, 2 chemists, 1 cook, 3 storemen, 1 boxmaker, 1 nurseryman, 5 motor-drivers, 3 household employees, 1 orchardist, 10 general labourers, 1 at sugar-refinery, 4 sawmill employees, 3 at woollen-mills, 4 in Post and Telegraph Department, 5 clerks, 5 railway employees, 2 at freezing-works, .1 coachbuilder, 1 warehouse employee, 4 message-boys, 3 gardeners, 2 timber-yard employees, 6 bootmakers, 1 carter, 1 blacksmith, 12 seamen, 2 butchers, 2 surveyors, 4 factory employees, 2 coal-miners, 1 engineer, and 3 carpenters. Total number of boys employed, 599 (455 farm-workers, 35 apprentices, and 109 others). Nature of Employment at 31st December, 1919, of Girls who have left School. There were 309 domestics ; 13 apprentices (5 dressmakers, 4 tailoresses, 1 saleswoman, 2 shopassistants, and 1 shirt-maker) ; 5 factory employees ; and 7 in other employment, as follows : 2 saleswomen, 1 in Telegraph Department, 1 in woollen-mill, 2 waitresses, and 1 whose employment was unknown. This gives a total of 334 girls employed—3o9 domestics, 13 apprentices, 5 factory employees, and 7 others. Admission during 1919. During the year 864 children were committed to the care of the Department, as compared with 381 for the previous year. The increase is accounted for mainly by the fact that 304 orphans whose parents died during the influenza epidemic of 1918 were taken charge of by the Department. The following table shows the new admissions classified according to age : — Boys. Girls. Totals. Under six months . . .. . . .. 31 24 55 Six months to one year .. .. .. ..21. 8 29 One year to five years .. .. .. ..11l 83 194 Five years to ten years . . .. . . . . 150 107 257 Ten years to fourteen years .. . . . . .. 140 85 225 Over fourteen years . . . . . . . . 76 28 104 Totals .. .. .. ..529 335 864 Attached to this report is a table showing the admissions classified according to causes of admission. It is interesting to note that of the total number dealt with 237 were destitute and 316 not under proper control. Practically all of the 237. destitute children have been placed out either in country foster-homes or with relatives, and of the 316 children charged with not being under proper control, all but 46 have been satisfactorily placed. Had the Department been in a position to handle all these 553 children by means of Boarding-out Officers under such an organization as is contemplated by the extended boarding-out system, it is safe to estimate that a very small number would have been handed over to bo maintained entirely by the State. In many instances the cases could have been adequately dealt with by means of temporary assistance to the parents, or by arranging for the children to be taken charge of by relatives. As it is, the cost to the Department of maintaining these children for the first year will not be less than £25,000, and in the majority of the cases the children will be a direct charge on the State for periods varying from three to fourteen years. Another table (Table I 7) gives particulars of the parents at the time of the admission of the children. From this table I have selected the following figures, showing (1) the number of children of drunken parents, and the cost of maintenance ; and (2) the number of children where either one or both parents are feeble-minded, and the approximate cost of maintenance. Admission of Children during 1919 on account of the Drinking Habits of one or other or of both Parents. Drunken mother .. . . . . . . .. • • .. 6 Drunken father .. • • • • • • ■ • • ■ .. 42 Both parents drunkards .. . . • • • • • • .. 13 Total number of children .. .. .. .. ..61 The. cost to the Department of maintaining children who are neglected or become uncontrollable through the drunkenness of the parents is enormous. Last year the number of cases was 61, but it is safe to state that the average annual increase in numbers is not less than 50, and the average period