POLITICAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 7, 24 August 1911, Page 5

POLITICAL.

THE STATE AND THE CHILDREN. WHAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT DOES. Last year the Government sj)cnt £51,922 on schools for afflicted and dependent children to tho number of 2586 in the institutions under the Education Department’s care. In addiion, there are 1620 children under State guardianship, boarded out and resident at other schools.

The annual report recapitulates the law on the subject of defective and afflicted children, and adds:—“There is, unfortunately, very strong evidence that there are a largo number of young people in New Zealand (as in other countries) who, by reason of mental defect, are unable to properly control their lives, and it is hoped that with the means that the law now allows they will no be permitted to drift towards destitution and criminality, but will be so cared for that they will be able eventually either to maintain themselves respectably or to contribute to their maintenance in suitable institutions according to their various capabilities.

Up till now it has been practicable to deal with boys only at the school for the feeble-minded, but plans arc now in hand for buildings which would provide for the accommodation of a considerable number of girls. Reference was made in the report for the year 1909 to the pressing need for another industrial school for boys. As the result of negotiations, the institution conducted I y the Roman Catholic authorities as a private industrial school under the supervision of the Education Department, and generally known as the Stoke Orphanage, has been purchased for this purpose, and will hereafter he a Government industrial school to which magistrates can commit boys irrespective of the religious denomination they belong to. The special school for boys of feeble mind at Otekaike is being steadily developed, and forty-seven boys are now in residence. The institution cost £7B33’last year, including £4934 on additional buildings, water supply and other improvements. The number of children under the control of industrial schools at the end of 1910 was 2454, an increase of 74 during the year. Of this total 805 were resident in the institutions, 283 being in the private (Roman Catholic) industrial schools, 794 were boarded out with foster parents, and 855 were earning their living in situations, placed with friends on probation, etc.

Expenditure on industrial schools totalled £36,934 last year, an increase of £152. The charitable aid boards paid £9450 for maintenance of indigent children in Government schools.

WORKERS’ DWELLINGS. AREAS OF LAND AVAILABLE. As the result of amendments made last session the benefits of the Workers’ Dwellings Act are now available to workers in all parts of the Dominion instead of as formerly, in Urn principal centres only. By direction of the Minister, however, operations are being limited to places where there are at least six applicants, as it is impracticable to erect dwellings in smaller groups. The land already set apart for workers’ dwellings is located as follows: Auckland: Ellcrslio, 43 sections; Otahuhu, 20 sections. Inquiries are being made respecting suitable land in or nearer the city for the benefit of applicants whose work does not permit of their living at a distance. Wellington: Heretaunga, 92 sections ; Melling Settlement, 41 sections; Hawtrey Settlement, 19 sections. As these settlements are nearly an hour’s journey from the city it is hoped to secure two small blocks of land at opposite ends of the city itself at a reasonable price.

Christchurch: Walker Settlement, Addington, 9 sections; Camclot Settlement, Sydenham, 11 sections. He 1 e blocks are within easy reach of the city, and are in every way suitable. Applications will therefore be dealt with without delay. Dunedin: Windle Settlement, 33 sections. Inquiries are being made for another block at the other end of the, city. There is a block of 18 sections available at Awatoto, near Napier, which is suitable for the purpose, and will be set apart under the Act. In the Loughnan Settlement at Terrace End, Palmerston North, there is an area of 34 acres suitable for the purpose. Applications for dwellings to be erected there are to be considered as early as possible. Negotiations are also in progress for securing suitable land in various other towns.

In all, 126 dwellings have keen erected under the Act, of which 35 are at Auckland, 28 at Potono, 12 in Wellington, 31 in Christch liven. and 20 in Dunedin.