E—4

Children in Mental Hospitals.—During the year ended 31st March, 1946, 28 State wards were admitted to mental hospitals. At that date there were a total of 161 State wards in these institutions, as against 147 at 31st March, 1945. In accordance with an arrangement with the Mental Hospitals Department, these children are not discharged from our legal control, as in the event of their return to the community the Department is enabled to resume control and assist where required.

Table 2.—Number of Children appearing before Children's Courts

15

(Classified according to complaints or charges laid) -— 1943-44. 1944-45. 1945-46. Complaints under Child Welfare Act— Indigent 145 168 165 Not under proper control 280 238 172 Living in a detrimental environment 106 52 76 Neglected 52 59 41 583 517 454 Offences— (1) Against morality 10 9 6 (2) Against the person 61 69 56 (3) Theft . . .. .. .. .. 1,132 993 847 (4) Conversion of motor-vehicles . . ... 65 49 48 (5) Other conversions 79 48 55 (6) Delinquent . . .. 267 234 231 (7) Miscellaneous (chiefly mischief) 449 316 296 (8) Breaches of Court supervision order 24 13 10 (9) Breaches of special Acts and regulations—• (a) Railways 6 14 5 (b) Fire brigade 4 4 7 (c) Acclimatization 4 9 2 (d) Licensing • 29 12 20 (e) Arms 50 37 41 (/) Post and Telegraph 122 67 18 (g) Shipping 1 6 2 (hy Emergency War Regulations 4 1 (i) Man-power Regulations 3 1 (j) Venereal Disease Regulations 4 1 (&) Immigration 1 (10) Breaches of Traffic Regulations— (a) Cycles 47 49 71 (b) Motor-vehicles 1 12 5 (c) Other 52 15 34 (11) Breaches of city or borough by-laws— (a) Cycle 69 46 16 (b) Other than cycling 10 8 14 2,493 2,012 1,786 3,076 2,529 2,240