7

E.—4.

there is need rather to protect the young offender from the pernicious influence of the orphan or destitute child who may have been rescued from drunken or immoral home conditions. For purposes of comparison three tables have been prepared showing —(1) Children admitted on account of destitution ; (2) children found to be not under proper control, or reported as uncontrollable by the parents ; and (3) children charged with offences against the law. In each case the parents have been divided into the following groups : (1) Dead, deserter, or unknown ; (2) good character; (3) bad or questionable character, including drunkards, feeble-minded, or physically unfit.

Particulars of Parentage: 1924 Admissions. 199 destitute children, representing 130 families. Character of parents described as —

Probation Work : Big Brother Movement. Over two years ago an organization known as the Big Brother Movement was inaugurated in Auckland by the Y.M.C.A. for the purpose of arranging for the supervision of juvenile offenders by young men selected for this purpose. Each case is investigated in the first place by the Juvenile Probation Officer, who reports the facts fully for the guidance of the Big Brother, who supervises the boy and reports monthly through the secretary of the Y.M.C.A. to the Juvenile Probation Officer. The results have been most gratifying. So far there have been few failures. The Big Brother Movement has also been taken up by the Roman Catholic authorities in Auckland, and now a carefully arranged system under the Rev. Father Bradley is functioning successfully. It is also gratifying to be able to record that the Big Brother Movement has been extended to the other chief centres of population—Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin —and to the smaller centres, such as Wanganui and Palmerston North. This movement may, I think, be regarded as the most important contribution on progressive lines that has been made of recent times by private effort to the community-welfare work of the Dominion, and marks the beginning of a system providing for sympathetic and practical co-operation between the Department's welfare officers and members of social organizations, a beginning that it is hoped will develop and extend in the direction of providing in the incipient stages for the friendly supervision, guidance, and assistance by private effort of the whole of the small army of young people who through the indifference of the parents, improper home conditions, or lack of proper environment are likely to develop along antisocial lines or become liabilities instead of assets to the State. Infant Mortality and Supervision of Illegitimate Children. The return of deaths among illegitimate children under one year published in this report is a clear indication that further steps should be taken to preserve the lives of illegitimate infants. Last year the number of illegitimate births in the Dominion was 1,338, while the number of deaths during the year was ninety-four, equal to 70-2 per 1,000. Compared with the death-rate among infants born in wedlock (38-6 per 1,000) the difference is startling and calls for some definite measures to prevent this human wastage.

Bad, Questionable, Dead, Deserter, or Good Drunkards, FeebleUnknown. ' j minded, and Physically Unfit. Father ........ 55 12 30 Mother .. . . . . . . 21 25 51 Both parents ...... 8 18 7 195 uncontrollable children, representing 121 families. Character of parents described as —- Bad, Questionable, Dead, Deserter, or n , Drunkards, FeebleUnknown. 00 ' minded, and Physically Unfit. Father ........ 26 27 36 Mother .. . . .. .. 26 25 34 Both parents . . . . . . 12 16 6 109 children accused or guilty of offences, representing 103 families. Character of parents described as — Bad, Questionable, Dead, Deserter, or n H I Drunkards, FeebleUnknown. 00 ' minded, and Physically Unfit. Father ........ 15 20 13 Mother ........ 13 13 8 Both parents ...... 5 49 8