IE—

Children in Mental Hospitals.—During the year ended 31st March, 1948, 36 State wards were admitted to mental hospitals. At that date there were 170 State wards in these institutions, as against 162 at the 31st March, 1947. In accordance with an arrangement with the Mental Hygiene Division of the Health Department, these children are not discharged from our 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

8

(Classified according to Complaints or Charges Laid) 1945-46. 1946-47. 1947-48. Complaints under Child Welfare Act— Indigent .. 165 144 99 Not under proper control 172 182 197 Living in a detrimental environment 76 94 79 Neglected 41 38 68 454 458 443 Offences — (1) Against morality 6 6 9 (2) Against the person 56 55 56 (3) Theft 847 703 782 (4) Conversion of motor-vehicles 48 38 50 (5) Other conversions 55 51 46 (6) Delinquent 231 233 231 (7) Miscellaneous (chiefly mischief) 296 263 181 (8) Breaches of Court supervision order 10 9 9 (9) Breaches of special Acts and regulations— (a) Railways 5 7 1 (b) Fire brigade 7 4 11 (c) Acclimatization 2 8 17 (cl) Licensing 20 17 11 (e) Arms 41 30 40 (/) Post and Telegraph 18 15 20 (g) Shipping 2 4 5 (h) Immigration 1 (10) Breaches of Traffic Regulations— (a) Cycles 71 58 68 (b) Motor-vehicles 5 3 8 (c) Other 34 27 31 (11) Breaches of city or borough by-laws— («) Cycle 16 22 13 (b) Other than cycling 14 15 1,786 1,568 1,589 2,240 2,026 2,032