INDUSTRIAL-SCHOOL SYSTEM (MEMORANDUM BY THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, HON. J. A. HANAN, DEALING WITH REFORMS IN CONNECTION WITH THE).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1917 Session I, E-01a

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1917. NEW ZEALAND.

INDUSTRIAL-SCHOOL SYSTEM (MEMORANDUM BY THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, HON. J. A. HANAN, DEALING WITH REFORMS IN CONNECTION WITH THE).

Laid on the Table of the House of Rejiresentatives by Leave.

Office of Minister of Education, 17th July, 1917. Last year, by leave of the House, I laid on the table a memorandum dealing with educational progress. Reference to the annual report on the work of the Department will show that in spite of the present difficulties a substantial advance has been made in the direction, of carrying out the views expressed in that memorandum. This.year I desire to bring under the notice of Parliament and of the people of the Dominion a special phase of the work of the Education Department: this is the work covered by the industrial-school system, which deals" with a large number of neglected and delinquent children who have become wards of the State through the failure of the home or of society, or of both, to give them that minimum of care and guidance and that natural and wholesome environment without which childlife inevitably becomes blighted and stunted. All records and statistics show that, with respect to the number of neglected and delinquent children and to the seriousness of the cases dealt with, New Zealand has a much more creditable record than can be shown by most of the other parts of the Empire. Still, the fact that there were, at the end of the year 19.16, 4,128 such children in. New Zealand under the care of the Department is a matter of such pressing importance that it should cause grave concern, not only on account of the darkened and unhappy condition of so many handicapped lives, but on account of the national loss resulting from this threatened wastage of human resources. Jn view of the fact that so many of our finest men have been killed or disabled during the war we should make every effort possible to save this small army of children, most of whom, if the State stood, aside, would not only be lost to the State as citizens, but would become a hindrance or a menace to the public well-being. The Problem. The children who come under the care of the various industrial-school agencies may be classified as follows : — (a.) Very young children, mostly infants, who for various reasons are boarded out by their parents. Under the Infant Life Protection Act the Department is responsible for the registration of the fosterhomes of these children and for their regular supervision. (h.) Neglected children whose homes are such that the children cannot be allowed to remain under the charge of their parents. (c.) Children who have been deserted by one or both of their parents, or whose parents have died leaving the children destitute. (d.) Children who are beyond the control of their parents. (c.) Children who have committed some offence against the law, or whose character makes them a danger to society. I—E. la.

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It will be seen that the children described in (a), (b), and (c) above are not necessarily bad children. They are more sinned against than sinning. They are often undersized, unhealthy, ill-mannered, and undisciplined, but that is not their fault—it is the natural result of indifference, neglect, and ignorance. Those described in (d) and (c) are in very many cases what most children would become under similar conditions. Children under the Control op the Department. Table I. (1.) Infants in homes licensed under the Infant Life Protection Act. (These are described under (a) above) .. .. .. .. • • • ■ • • • • 844 (2.) Children under the control of receiving-homes and similar institutions. (These nearly all come under (b) and (c), but some come under (d) above) .. .. .. .. 2,259 (3.) Delinquent children who come under the description (c) above (907 boys, 118 girls) .. 1 ,025 Total ..4,128 Table 11. The 2,259 children mentioned in (2) above and the 1,025 mentioned in (3) are provided for as follows :■ — (2.) (3.) Resident in institutions .. .. .. .. .. 190 519 Boarded out .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,081 1 Licensed to service .. .. .. .. .. 336 234 With friends or guardians. . .. .. .. .. 236 134 Otherwise provided for .. .. .. .. 116 137 2,259 1,025 It will be noted that only about 27§ per cent, of those included in column (2) and about 50 per cent, of those in column (3) are resident in institutions. In pursuance of the system of more extensive boarding-out as described below, a large additional number of those shown above as [resident in institutions have been boarded out since December last. Of the 3,284 children mentioned in (2) and (3) above 2,814 are under the direct charge of the Department. The remaining 470 are in private institutions, which are, however, licensed and inspected by the Department. That the private institutions do not very freely follow the State system of boarding out children is evidenced by the fact that only 53 out of their 470 children are boarded out, as compared with 1,029 boarded-out children out of 2,814 under the direct charge of the Department. The Root op the Matter. Though the various organizations controlled by the Department are providing for the various classes of neglected, uncontrollable, and delinquent children, it must be recognized that to receive and care for the annual harvest of unfortunate children is not sufficient to meet the problem. We should as far as possible endeavour to find out and to check as far as practicable the sources of the supply of such fosterchildren. It is well that the State is prepared to stand in loco parentis to this large family of waifs and strays, but it is a matter for public concern that year after year there should be a constant supply of such children claiming the State as its fosterparent. The industrial-school system might be called a Red Cross contingent picking up and attending to the socially wounded and maimed ; but we should find out why there are so many wounded, and consider whether we cannot protect a child before, instead of helping him after he goes through the Criminal Court. Society has not made the best use of its powers until it seeks to forestall and prevent those damages which at present it seeks only to repair. It is a short-sighted policy to devote our attention to the punishment or even the reform of the criminal rather than to prevent the boy or girl from becoming a criminal. This view was set forth in the course of my speech on the Crimes Amendment Act of 1910. On that occasion I remarked : " Sir, I believe that to deal effectively with crime, poverty, and other evils you should, as far as possible, remove the conditions which give rise to or manufacture such evils —in other words, you should destroy the roots of the tree instead of merely cutting off its branches. ... Is

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it not strange that we do not have regard to the fact that, as the seeds of evil are usually sown in childhood and youth, it is here that investigation should commence ? " Primary Causes. Among the primary causes of the neglect of children the following may be mentioned : Parental ignorance and incapacity or indifference, which is not confined to the poorer classes, and which generally results in the " dragging-up " of illdisciplined, ill-nourished, and ill-educated children ; living in slum areas or in overcrowded areas where a large part of a child's time must be spent on the street; street trading and the cupidity of many parents and employers ; parental indulgence, lack of parental control, and excessive freedom to children, especially in the evenings ; desertion by parents ; intemperance of parents, with the consequent deterioration of home-life, and often the lack of the ordinary comforts of life and the essentials for healthy living; employment in unskilled labour; defective education ; and lack of reasonable means of occupying leisure-time after leaving school. Comment on these causes is unnecessary, since their inevitable effect on child-life is surely obvious enough. Remedies. Much more would be done to remove or check the above causes of child-misery if we fully realized the value of child-life and definitely and actively accepted the principle that every child has the right of having at least " a chance "in life. We must dispute any so-called liberty that conflicts with the child's undoubted right, even if in consequence we interfere with bad parents or vested interests. lam able here only to hint at some of the possibilities of remedial action. The Home. It has to be admitted with regret that home influence is not so strong nor of so fine a type as it was a generation or so ago. Families are more divided in their interests, occupations, and pleasures, and the intimacy and co-operative relationships which used to be characteristic of most homes are now, as a rule, of a very slender character. A number of children very early become independent of their parents, especially at the present time, when the high wages received by many young boys and girls are not promoting steadiness and thriftiness of character, but are fostering habits of selfishness and wilfulness. Not only for the sake of the home and of the children, but for the sake of the future of the nation, the importance of the home and of efficient and economical management of domestic affairs needs to be more clearly recognized. Home-management as a technical occupation in which almost half of the adult population is engaged is as worthy of consideration in the course of instruction for all girls as almost any subject in the primary, secondary, and technical school curricula. A well-known writer on subjects concerning women says, " A sound knowledge of the household sciences and arts may serve not to tie a woman more to the storeroom and the kitchen, but to enable her to get better results with the expenditure of less time and energy, by fitting her to apply to everything, simple and complex, within the household the master mind instead of the mind of the uncertain amateur." ' By means of instruction in domestic science we should not only train our girls to be good home-makers, but we should restore the dignity of the work of the home that false modern ideas seem to have undermined. The fountain-head of the strength and virtue of a nation is the home-life of its people. It is for this reason, inter alia, that I have so strongly insisted that there must be in our primary and secondary schools a better and more general provision for training our girls in the noblest and most refining of all the occupations a woman can engage in. Owing to the importance of this subject it is now being given its rightful place in our school course of instruction. Unfit Parents. By the pressure of public opinion, by giving temperance instruction in schools, and by every legitimate means we should endeavour to prevent the steady destruction of child-life and happiness through intemperance. Where intemperance is associated with poverty and squalid home-conditions, as is very often the case, the

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lives of the children are a tragedy. Of such children it may be said that they have never had a childhood in the real sense. It would be surprising if they grew up to be normally efficient citizens. It has often been urged that, rather than the children, parents who have proved , themselves unfit to be parents should be placed under restriction. It certainly seems to be the height of folly to take children from a home which is judged to be unfit for children and. from parents who are unfit to rear children, and yet to wait year by year for the succession of additional children which proceeds from that same home. In many cases the evil effects cannot be remedied even if the children are taken charge of from infancy, for physical or mental infirmity are often, stamped on the children for life through, the moral or physical degeneracy of their parents. Housing Conditions. The question of the eradication of the slum areas of our towns and cities is one which demands the most careful consideration, it is a crime to place children in conditions that almost defy them to become healthy, decent citizens. More care is taken over the rearing of stock than the rearing of children. The free kindergarten associations, however, are doing splendid work towards brightening the lives of city children, and in many cases stimulating parents to do more for the welfare of their children, and I have, as far as possible, recognized the value of this work by arranging for an increased capitation and an improved status for the free kindergarten schools. Reference will be made later to proposals for regulating street trading by children, and for checking undue liberty in roaming the streets or in going unattended to public places of entertainment in the evenings. Practical Education. As the prison reports clearly indicate, a large proportion of criminals and of minor offenders are people who have had a poor education and who have drifted into the ranks of unskilled labour. I may here mention that proposals have been adopted to provide for such modifications of school instruction as will tend to keep at school till they complete the primary course those children whose capacities lie more in the direction of manual work. Further, by means of continuation classes for both boys and girls who have left school, it is hoped not only to extend their general education, but to provide for reasonable opportunities for receiving instruction relating to their trade or calling. This should give a distinct bias towards the more skilled trades as against blind-alley occupations, and help to eliminate the undesirable results often accompanying poor education and the lack of a skilled occupation. Still further to assist in setting our boys and girls out properly in life after they leave school it is proposed to establish juvenile employment bureaux through, which children and parents may receive advice and assistance in the selection and securing of occupations suited to the capacities of the children. Methods. The reforms that have recently been effected or are in progress or under consideration are dealt with under various sections which follow. Mention should be made here, however, of a difficulty which frequently presents itself owing to a want of understanding by the public of the main principle that should guide all industrial-school methods : this is that the Department, having become the fosterparent of a child, must place the child's interests before everything else. Constant trouble is caused through well-meaning people listening to the plaints of parents, or foster-parents, or employers of children under the care of the Department. Parents whose own conduct has caused their children to be taken from them often plead their parental affections as a reason why their children should be returned to them. This is very frequent when the children begin to earn wages. These parents, as well as foster-parents and employers who for reasons of their own wish to keep a child with them, often gain the ear of sympathetic listeners who do not know all the facts of the case. The result often is that undue and unwarranted pressure and criticism, are brought to bear on the Department when,

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with all the facts in view, it takes the course that is dictated by the children's own interests, liven where there is a doubt the child must have the benefit of the doubt, and in very many cases it is either impossible or undesirable for the Department to disclose all the evidence on which its action is based. Reforms. In accordance with the views above expressed, important reforms have accordingly been made or are now in progress in regard to the industrial-school system, connected with which the principal institutions are as follows :— For boys : The Nelson Training-farm, the Weraroa Training-farm, and the Burnham Industrial School. For girls : The Te Oranga Home, the Auckland Industrial School, and the Caversham Industrial School. For young children of both sexes : The Wellington, Nelson, and Christchurch Receiving-homes. It was found during the year that all the residential schools were overcrowded, that the number of admissions was steadily increasing, and that definite proposals for extension had been made in the case of almost every one of the above institutions as well as for an additional school for boys. This steady increase in the number of admissions raised the question as to whether something better could not be done for neglected and delinquent children than to make so large a proportion of them resident inmates of institutions even though these were of the finest type possible. A large number of the children who come under the Industrial Schools Act are merely neglected or deserted children who require only to be given a reasonable opportunity to become normal children. Many of those who have committed offences are less to blame than their parents, who have not exercised proper control over them. Many of the children are quite young, and require the training of a home rather than the training of even the most excellent institution. I therefore concluded that a stage had been, reached in the development of the system at which the whole problem of neglected and delinquent children should be reviewed, and it was eventually considered that, as far as possible, future action should be based on the following principles : — (1.) That definite steps should be taken to apply the axiom " Prevention is better than cure " : (2.) That it is advisable to influence parents as well as their children : (3.) That neglected and delinquent children under the care of the State should be placed as far as possible under natural home conditions, and that admission to an institution should be used only as a last resort: (4.) That there should be a reclassification of those resident inmates of the various institutions who could not be boarded out under ordinary conditions. While the human aspect of the matter was thus made the basis of .contemplated reforms consideration was also given to financial questions involved in the administration of this very wide system. It was found that in many respects reforms designed for the welfare of the children were also the means of effecting economy, and vice versa, but the general principle was followed that humanistic considerations must, within all reasonable limits, dominate financial considerations. The following headings will give an indication of the reforms that are now in progress or have actually been established as the result of the review of the position referred to above, together with certain other proposals for which legislative and financial authority will be necessary : — (1.) Extension of the probation system to the four centres of population. (2.) Establishment of probation homes for boys at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. (3.) Preparation and consolidation of legislation providing for the better protection and supervision of all destitute and delinquent children and juvenile offenders ; regulation of street trading among children and the attendance of children at picture-theatres, &c. ; establishment of juvenile-employment bureaux ; and the better supervision of all private orphanages or similar institutions.

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(4.) Extension of boarding-out system, carrying with it an all-round increase in the boarding-out rate. (5.) Better supervision of those boys and girls placed in situations, particularly in regard to the rate of wages paid. (6.) Reduction of numbers in residence at each industrial schoo' and reformatory. (7.) Reservation of the Boys' Training-farm, Nelson, for boys of school a B e< (8.) Reservation of the Boys' Training-farm, Weraroa, for the training of boys over school age. (9.) Establishment of central training-school for girls combined with a receiving-home for children at Christchurch. (10.) Closing of the Girls' Industrial Schools as such at Auckland and Caversham, and converting them into special schools for feebl..minded children. (11.) Establishment of receiving-homes for children at Auckland and Dunedin. (12.) Closing of the day schools attached to the training-farm at Weraroa, the Burnham Industrial School, Te Oranga Home, and the Caversham Industrial School. (13.) More systematic methods of dealing with the collection of contributions from parents and others for children belonging to industrial and special schools. (14.) Thorough and regular inspection of all institutions. (15.) Standardization within certain limits of the dietary scale at all schools. (16.) Standardization of all materials and equipment. (17.) Establishment of central store for supplies and material for industrial and special schools, and interchange of commodities produced at certain schools. (18.) Centralization of the greater proportion of the official work carried out by the clerical staff attached to each school. (19.) Supervision of all farming operations in connection, with the schools by expert officers of the Department of Agriculture. (20.) Establishment of a proper system of farm and store accounts at each industrial and special school and in the Head Office. A few notes with reference to each of the above will serve to explain the general aim of the reforms I have under consideration. 1. Owing to the overcrowding of institutions under the control of the Department it seemed as if it would be necessary to provide — (a.) A fourth institution, at a cost of not less than £21,000, with a recurring annual charge of about £6,000. (b.) A subsidiary institution on the Burnham School estate for the detention of incorrigible boys, at a capital cost of at least £8,000 and an annual maintenance charge of £2,500. (c.) The rebuilding on a much extended scale of the first division building at Te Oranga Home, Christchurch, destroyed by fire some time ago. The cost of building was estimated at about £6,000, and the increased annual cost at about £1,400. (d.) Additional buildings at the Auckland Industrial School at a cost of £1,500, carrying with it an increase of £650 in annual maintenance. Extension of Probation System. —The need for relieving the different schools of a considerable number of inmates and for regulating the numbers that are being admitted to these schools has caused the recent extension of the juvenile probation system to the four centres of New Zealand. As far back as 1913 a system of probation was established in the City of Auckland, and the result of its working has been highly satisfactory, not merely financially, but from the point of view of the children's welfare. During the period Ist January, 1913, to 30th June, 1916, 197 boys were nominally committed to industrial schools, but were placed on probation with friends in the City of Auckland alone. During that time only in eleven cases had the probation to be cancelled and the boys sent on to an industrial school— that is to say, in nearly 95 per cent, of the cases the system was successful in reforming the boys under normal conditions.

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The saving effected by the scheme is very considerable. The cost to the State for maintenance computed at 10s. a week for each boy would have been at least £7,700 in three years and a half. The only expenditure involved covered the salary and travelling-expenses of one officer, who, in addition to his special duties, visited boys placed out from industrial schools in the Auckland District, collected maintenance payments, made inquiry regarding children suitable for admission to special schools, and generally acted as the Department's representative throughout the Auckland District. In addition to dealing with actual delinquents the probation system has been further developed in Auckland in the direction of placing under the supervision of the Probation Officer children who come under the notice of the police as being somewhat uncontrollable, or through having committed petty offences more or less as the result of thoughtlessness or mischievousness. The almost invariable result has been that a few months' probation has prevented further development —that is to say, in the majority of those cases the need for more severe methods and probably for subsequent commitment to an industrial school has been rendered unnecessary. By the extension of the system to the other centres of population it will be possible to place out a great many of the boys and girls who are at present detained at industrial schools. In fact, a considerable number have already been placed out, and so far the results have been satisfactory. The essential merit of the probation system is that it is preventive rather than punitive, and has for its object the strengthening of character in these children in the natural surroundings of their own homes. In this connection I may point out that in the United States and many parts of Europe there has been a sharp check in the building of institutions for dependent children, largely owing to the rapid development of the placing-out system. In Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin the State institutions have not required enlargement for many years. The building of such homes in Ohio and Indiana has come to a standstill. In Indiana eight or ten such institutions have already been closed and. others are likely to follow, and this movement is rapidly extending to the other States. In Great Britain the fostering-out of children has largely taken, the place of the work formerly carried on in large institutional buildings. Tn fact, the trend of modern systems of child-caring for dependent and neglected children is away from institutionalism and towards placing in selected foster-homes ; and even in cases where the permanent care of children must be by way of the institution, as in the case of defectives, incorrigible, abnormal, or crippled children, then the modern tendency is to devise institutions approximating as nearly as possible to the conditions in an ordinary family home rather than the assembling of great numbers of children in. one large building. It is very important to note the effect such a system is bound to have on the parents of the children. It must be recognized that commitment to an. industrial school and the consequent transfer of the legal guardianship of the child to the State necessarily results in many cases in the severing of family ties which it should be the duty of the State from a social viewpoint to endeavour to foster rather than to discourage. One of the main virtues of the probation system, therefore, is that it preserves such relations until actual admission to an institution becomes the last resort for the treatment of the child. In many cases where a child is brought under the control of a Probation Officer a parent is brought to realize for the first time the results of laxity of control or of practices which the child may have entered upon without the parents' knowledge. In most cases parents realize the danger, and take steps to guard their children against having to be committed to an industrial institution ; thus not only is the child protected in one instance, but his general training is improved as a result of altered, home conditions. Such, a result is far more desirable from a national point of view than a reformation through residence in an institution. The Juvenile Court, far from being an enemy, is an aid to the home and the school in the training of the child. If other agencies fail the Court, through probation methods, does the best it can to supply the deficiency, and it must ever be remembered that the Court needs and should demand the help and co-operation of the parent, the school, the civic authorities, and of society generally. They in turn should understand that the effort being put forth is in the best interests of the child, and to secure his obedience and respect for law and order.

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In cases where children have been removed from degraded homes or vicious parents they will require a period of training before they can be placed in a decent home, and they must get this training prior to placement : this in justice to the child-saving agency, in justice to the foster-parents, and in justice to the child. And yet, again, in many cases it is very advisable that children removed from their parents by the order of a Magistrate or Judge should not be placed too quickly in foster-homes, but after their removal the parents should be given another chance to make good and improve their home conditions. In many instances, in what seems the most hopeless kind of home, the parents are likely to come to their senses on the removal of their children, and strive to overcome their former habits and transform their abodes into decent, orderly, happy homes. 2. To carry out the probation system successfully it will be necessary, as soon as the financial provision can be made, to establish probation homes in each of the centres. At the present time young offenders, when arrested or on remand, are detained temporarily at police-stations. This, of course, is an unsuitable arrangement, and for the sake of the children should be discontinued. Again, there are many cases that are hardly suitable for immediate probation that might easily be adequately dealt with by detention on the order of the Magistrate for a short period in a probation home. The probation home could be used to advantage also as a means of punishing minor breaches of probation or for the detention of a boy while he is under observation prior to a decision being made as to his future treatment. In addition to this, boys passing through different centres from one industrial school to another, or proceeding to situations, or returning to friends, will, when necessary, be met by the Probation Officer and accommodated at the home. The appointment of Probation Officers will relieve all Managers of industrial schools of the duty of visiting boys placed out from their own. institutions. Tn the past it has been, the rule that every boy should be visited regularly by the Manager, who is his legal guardian, but with the increasing numbers it was impossible for Managers to devote adequate time to such visiting and to manage their institutions properly at the same time. The system of visiting now proposed will prevent much overlapping, will be more effective, and incidentally will be the means of effecting a considerable saving. By far the most effective way of dealing with habitual crime is to prevent juvenile offenders from acquiring or settling into criminal habits. By following this policy 1 am convinced that we should preserve from an evil life many boys and girls capable of becoming worthy and useful citizens ; further, it is certain that the country would be saved a great deal of the present cost of Courts, prisons, and industrial schools. 3. Required Legislation. —The present social conditions and the unusual amount of liberty given to many children probably account to some extent for the large number of uncontrollable children that are brought before the Juvenile Courts throughout New Zealand. The number of children who either cannot be controlled by their parents or who may be regarded as not under proper control, has increased remarkably during the last two or three years. For instance, during last year over one hundred and fifty of the children committed to industrial schools were charged with not being under proper control, and over one hundred, were committed as the result of petty offences. Under the probation scheme it will probably be sufficient in at least 90 per cent, of these cases to supervise children in their own homes. During last year over a hundred children were committed to industrial schools on account of destitution. Considering the prosperity of the country this must be regarded as a serious matter, and certainly an industrial school is not the proper place for the detention of a destitute child. Under the present system the majority of these children will be boarded out in country homes at the expense of the Government; under the new system, it will probably be possible in a great many cases to place such children on probation with friends. Apart from the saving that will be effected in administration, it is decidedly better from a social point of view that these children should be brought up with suitable relatives or friends. Another remarkable fact in regard to the present inmates'of boys' schoolsns that at least 80 per cent, of the delinquent boys were engaged in street trading before their admission to the schools. This fact may be regarded as direct evidence in favour of the proper regulation of street trading among children, and proposals for legislation in this direction and regulations thereunder are now being prepared,

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Some city children are handicapped by overwork. Thus in one city school in Standard VI, ten out of forty-four boys are wage-earners; in Standard V, twenty-nine out of sixty-four boys are wage-earners; in Standard IV, nine out of sixty-one boys are wage-earners. Many of these boys have no leisure time, and are physically and mentally weary during school-hours. The following lists give hours of work and wages received by school-boys in three classes of one city school in which an investigation was made: —

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Age. Work. Wage. Time occupied. Standard VI. 1. 13 years. . 2. 14 „ . . 3. 14 „ .. 4. 13 „ .. 5. 0. 14 years.. Message-boy Telegraph boy . . Newsboy 6s. per Week 7s. 6d. 7s. 6d 5s. 6d. His. £1 4-6 p.m. daily ; 8 a.m.-l p.m. Saturday. 4-7 p.m., plus 5 hours Saturday. 4-7 p.m., plus 5 hours Saturday. 4.50-7 p.m. nightly and \ hour Saturday, selling papers. 6-7.45 a.m. (9s.) and 4-6.30 p.m. (7s.), selling papers. Distributes 16 dozen morning papers (12s. (id.), and 10 dozen evoning papoi's (7s. 6d.). 8-8.45 a.m., 4-6 p.m., daily ; 8-1 p.m. Saturday. Collects money for papers weekly. Works 4-5.30 p.m. nightly ; 9.30 a.m.-noon Saturday. Works 4-7 p.m. nightly, and 5 hours Saturday. 7. 13 „ .. 8. 13 „ .. 0. 13 „ .. 10. 14 „ .. Message-boy Newsboy Message-boy Telegraph boy .. 6s. 5s. 5s. 6d 7s. 6d. Standard V. 1.13 years. . 2. 13 „ .. Message-boy NeWsboy 6s. per Week Is. for each dozen of one paper sold— sells 6-0 dozen ; 6d. for each dozen of another paper sold—sells 2 dozen daily 5s. per Week 15s. 6d. „ 4-6 p.m. daily ; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. 5.30-8 a.m. daily, selling papers ; Friday, 4-9 p.m., selling papers; Saturday, 5.30-8 a.m. and 9 a.m.-noon, selling papers ; afternoon to 5 p.m. goes to Fullers' and sells papers, then home to tea; sells papers in street until 9.15 p.m. Office-boy NeWsboy 3.45-5.15 p.m. daily; 8a.m.-12p.m. Saturday. Selling papers, 5 a.m.-8 a.m. (4s. 6d.) ; 3.45-6 p.m. (5s.); 7.30-0.15 p.m. Friday, and all day Saturday on street or in Fullers' to 9.15 p.m. (6s.). 4-6 p.m. daily ; 8.30-1 p.m. Saturday. 4-6 p.m. daily ; 8-1 p.m. Saturday. 8-8.45 a.m. and 3.45-5 p.m. daily; 8-11.45 a.m. Saturday. 4-6 p.m. daily. 2 hours Saturday morning. Distributes 13 dozen papers nightly ; collects for 3|- hours weekly. Sells 20 dozen papers nightly, 4-8 p.m. (7s.); 4 dozen papers Weekly (2s.). 4-6 p.m. daily ; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. , 4-5.30 p.m. daily ; 8 a.m.-l p.m. Saturday. Distributes 62 papers nightly. On cart 4.30-7 p.m. 3. 11 „ ... 4. 12 „ .. 5. 12 ,, .. 0. 13 „ .. 7. 12 „ .. 8. 12 „ .. 9. 12 „ .. 10. 12 „ .. Message-boy . . NeWsboy Message-boy NeWsboy 6s. 5s. 5s. 6s. 6d. Is. 7s. 6d. 11. 12 „ .. 0s. 12. 12 „ .. 13. 12 ., .. 14. 13 „ .. 15. 11 „ .. Message-boy NeWsboy Baker's boy, works for father NeWsboy Message-boy .. NeWsboy Message-boy Milkboy and mes-sage-boy Newsboy Message-boy 8s. 6d. 6s. 5s. 6d. 3s. 6d. 16. 12 „ . . 17. 12 „ .. 18. 11 „ . . 10. 20. 12 years.. £1 6s. 6s. 5s. 6d. 7s. 6d. Prom 5.30 a.m. sells 8 dozen papers daily. 3.30-5 p.m. daily ; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Sells papers, 4.30-6 p.m. \ hour daily ; 2$ hours Saturday. Milk-cart 4.30-8 a.m. (5s.); grocer-boy for about \ hour daily (2s. 6d.). Distributes 106 papers daily. For drapery store, 8-8.45 a.m. daily ; 7-9 p.m. Friday ; 8 a.m.-l p.m. Saturday. Distributes 12 dozen papers daily (1 \ hours). Message-boy, 4-5.30 or 6 p.m. daily, 9 a.m.-] p.m. Saturday (5s.). NeWsboy, 5.30-7.5 a.m. (5s. fid.). Delivers 18 to 20 papers nightly. Sells papers, 15 dozen nightly. 4.30-6 p.m. Delivers milk, 5.45-7.30 a.m. (5s.); sells papers 3.30-8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and makes about 5s. Sells papers 4.30-8 p.m. daily. Sells papers 5-6,30 a.m. (12s. fid.); sells papers nightly to 6.30 p.m. (7s. 6d.). 21. 12 „ .. 22. 12 ., .. 5s. 6s. 23. 12 ., .. 24. 13 „ .. NeWsboy Message-boy and neWsboy NeWsboy 7s. 10s. fid. „ 25. 12 „ .. 20. 12 „ .. 27. 12 „ .. Milkboy and. neWsboy Newsboy Is. 6s. fid. 10s. 28. 13 „ .. 20. 13 „ .. 7s. fid. £1 Standard IV. 1 .. 2 .. 3 . . 4 .. 5 . . a .. Message-boy NeWsboy Message-boy (?) £1 per Week 5s. 5s. 8s. Gets. 2s.in£l sold.. 2 hours daily. 4-10.45 p.m. Friday ; 8 a.m.-O p.m. Saturday. 4-0 p.m. Friday ; 10 a.m.-fi p.m. Saturday. 2 hours daily. 8-8.45 a.m., 4-5.30 p.m., daily. 7.10-9 p.m. nightly. 7 .. 8 .. 0 . . SWeet - seller at Fullers' Message-boy Office-boy SWeet - seller at theatre 5s. 6d. per Week . . 5s. fid. 2s. in £1 sold 8-8.40 a.m. and 3.30-6 p.m. 4-5.30 p.m. 7-8.45 p.m. nightly.

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The matter of regulating the attendance of children at picture-theatres and other places of public amusement is also dealt with in the proposed regulations. Provision is also made for the regulation of admission of children to private orphanages and similar institutions, and for the method of conducting these institutions. Another matter which should be dealt with if legislative authority is granted is the handling of children up to the age of sixteen years by departmental officers specially appointed for the purpose. At the present time this work has to be carried out by the police, who already have their hands full in dealing with the criminal adult section of the community. In order to provide better guidance in connection with the employment of children after leaving school it is proposed to establish juvenile-employment bureaux, so as to provide, if possible, that a boy or girl who has the ability will have ample scope for employment of a congenial character, and also that the employer will be able to obtain a boy or girl who is suitable for his particular requirements. It too often happens at the present time that because his parents are poor a boy who is really fit for a useful career has to take the first position that offers the highest immediate wages. In most cases such attractive employment leads to nothing, and in a few years' time the boy finds that he has arrived at the end of a blind alley. As a rule it is impossible on account of financial considerations for him to start life over again in employment that would offer better opportunities, and he joins the ranks of unskilled labourers. 4. The extension of the boarding-out system is in reality an extension of the cottage-home system, which aimed at keeping children as nearly as possible under home conditions while they were resident at an institution. This system was followed out at the Boys' Training-farm, Weraroa, where it has now been rendered unnecessary owing to the reclassification of inmates and the transference of the younger boys —who were formerly in the cottage homes—to the residential school at Nelson. A very large number of former resident inmates of the various institutions have now been successfully boarded out in good homes, where they will receive the individual care of a foster-parent, attend an ordinary public school, and generally grow up in the ordinary environment of childhood. It need hardly be stated that only carefully selected children are thus boarded out. Fuller provision than was previously possible has also been made for the frequent supervision of these foster-homes. 5. Children at Service. —Much individual attention is now given by the Department to the question of wages and conditions of inmates who are placed out in situations from industrial schools and receiving-homes. As far as possible it has been my endeavour .to see that each inmate receives the benefit of the increases in wages that have recently taken place. The results have been very satisfactory, seeing that the wages of the younger boys have been increased on an average by 10s. a week, and those of the older boys by as much as £.1 a week. Similarly, the wages of the younger girls have on an average been increased by ss. a week, and those of the elder girls on an average of 7s. 6d. a week. It must, however, be remembered that a large number of the inmates are abnormal in temperament and characteristics, and cannot expect to receive the maximum wages payable for the services they perform. On the whole the Managers of the schools have in the past done excellent work in connection with the placing of their charges in suitable situations, and with the attention that is now being given to the question of wages the conditions of the boys and girls at service may be regarded as on a very satisfactory basis. It would be impossible even in brief space to summarize the results achieved in the past in the work of fitting industrial-school inmates for filling a useful and honourable place in the community. Hundreds of the boys have learnt useful trades or have taken up farming-work ; some have entered into business ; many of them are married and have houses of their own ; a number to be counted in hundreds have gone to the front, many of whom are N.C.O.s, while a few, of them have commissions. Of the girls, some have entered into business life or domestic service, while a large number of them are married and have homes to be proud of. A large number of the inmates have been restored to their homes after a short period of discipline, and have shown that they have profited by this experience. Many of the inmates correspond for years afterwards with the Managers of the institutions or with the foster-parents who have so carefully trained them and launched them forth in life.

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(5 to 12 (inclusive). Reclassification of Boys' Schools. —The much-needed reform of separating the schoolboys from the boys over school age has now been carried out by setting apart the Boys' Training-farm at Nelson as a training-school for boys of school age only, and the Boys' Training-farm at Weraroa for the training of boys over school age. The effect on the discipline and on the conduct of the boys has been very marked. It is proposed to close the day schools at Weraroa and also at Burnham, and to remove any boys of school age from these two institutions to the Boys' Training-farm at Nelson. Provision is made, however, for some continuation of the education, of the older boys at Weraroa and Burnham by means of evening classes of a suitable character. Removal of Elder Incorrigibles from Reformatory Schools. —The Industrial Schools Amendment Act, 1909, provides that where an inmate of a school is morally degenerate, or is otherwise not in the public interest a fit person to be free from control, application may be made to the Magistrate for an order extending the period of detention after the age of twenty-one years. In several cases orders have been obtained, but the retention of incorrigible adults in the same school as children and youths cannot be regarded as satisfactory. Under section 25 of the Industrial Schools Act provision is made for the transfer of young persons under the age of nineteen years from gaol to industrial schools, and proposals are now under consideration for the transfer of elder incorrigibles from schools to prison reformatories if the necessary legislative authority is granted. Such provision would have a material effect on the discipline of the two industrial schools concerned— namely, Te Oranga Home (the Girls' Reformatory), and the Burnham Industrial School (a Boys' Reformatory). By the removal of these incorrigibles a great many of the difficulties that are at present met with would be eliminated. Girls' Industrial Schools. —The Industrial School for Girls at Mount Albert has been closed as a residential school. It was found on an examination of the inmates of that school during last year that a certain number of the girls who were in residence at the school but attended the nearest public school were quite fit to be placed out at board in country homes. This has been carried out with remarkable success. All the suitable elder girls have been placed in situations and are doing well, and the remainder have either been, placed out with friends or have been transferred to institutions suited to their special requirements. In place of this institution it is proposed to establish a receiving-home on a smaller scale such as is at present in operation at Wellington and Christchurch. The day school connected with the Caversham Industrial School has been closed, and the children have been allowed to attend the nearest public school. This arrangement may be regarded as successful, and is found to be quite of material assistance in maintaining the discipline of the school. At Caversham, also, the matter of placing out young girls at board and of placing suitable elder girls in situations is steadily proceeding. The numbers have thus been reduced to about twenty. It is possible, of course, to reduce the numbers still further, but it is proposed to remodel the institution formerly known as Te Oranga Home and to establish in the same premises under a new name a central training-school for girls. This central training-school, if established, would consist of three divisions : (a) a receiving-home for the reception of young children fit for boarding out; (b) the training-school proper, for girls who are not fit to board out in private homes, or who being over the age of fourteen years require additional training before being fit to take situations ; and (c) the girls' reformatory proper, for the girls who are unfitted on account of their characteristics to be placed either in the training division or out in situations. The establishment of a central training-school will greatly assist in any schemes for the classification of the girls, and is highly desirable from an economic point of view. It will be possible to produce a sufficiency of milk, butter, vegetables, and fruit on the estate attached to this institution, and in addition to this a great saving will be effected in regard to the transfer of girls from one school to another. 13. Collection of Contributions for the Maintenance of Children from Parents and Others. —This work is very much involved and requires the supervision of an experienced officer. Much more attention is now being given to the details of this work, and the result from a financial point of view may be regarded as highly satisfactory. I am, of course, working under very great disabilities at present on account of the fact that the majority of the officers are now on active service, and it has been necessary to engage practically inexperienced persons to fill their places.

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The work of the collection of the maintenance is capable of a very great deal of extension, but with the present staff available it will not be possible to do much more than is being done at present. It may be stated that the average sum collected per week per inmate is higher in New Zealand than in any of the Australian States. Though the question of maintenance may appear to be merely a financial matter, it has an important personal bearing. Tf those who are responsible for children are compelled to contribute to a proper extent for the maintenance of children whom apparently negligence throws upon the care of the State, there is likely to be a greater restraining influence on parents than if they were able, at little inconvenience or cost to themselves, to allow the State to shoulder their responsibilities. 14. Inspection of all Institutions. —This will need to be regularly and thoroughly carried out, both for the sake of the inmates and to ensure proper administration. It is only by personal knowledge of the institutions, their officers, and in some cases of their inmates, that those who are guiding the system from the Head Office will be able to direct effectively the widely varied services connected with the work of special schools. 15 and 16. Standardization of Diet, Materials, and Equipment. —This does not mean that absolute uniformity or monotony is aimed at. In very many respects common articles of food, material, and equipment are of a generally similar character, and a much more effective supply can be made if large quantities can be procured direct from first sources. 17. As a result of the establishment of the central store it has been possible to standardize certain supplies, such as clothing, bedding, crockery, and cutlery, and to arrange for the supply of certain staple items of diet direct from the manufacturers, and in other cases to deliver at contract rates such items as tea, flour, and oatmeal to all the institutions under the Department's control. Early last year it was recognized that the system under which stores and supplies for industrial and special schools were purchased was not businesslike, since the head of each institution had practically a free hand to buy what he considered was suitable for his school. The Department therefore arranged for the establishment of a central store from or through which, except for small items that can be procured just as cheaply in the local market, the bulk of the stores now used at these schools is supplied. On account of the extraordinary conditions of the markets at the present time it is impossible to estimate the exact saving that has taken place, but it is safe to state that the amount is at least £3,500 annually. In addition to this, the time of the Managers is not now taken up with buying a variety of articles from a variety of sources. 18. Centralization of Clerical Work and Teaching Staffs. —By closing the four day schools referred to above, and by having only one central day school for boys, it has been possible to effect a saving in the salaries of the teaching staffs of about £1,050 per annum without any detriment to the education of the boys. Many of the former pupils of those schools are now attending ordinary schools while living with foster-parents. By substituting a central school for girls, and combining with this institution a receiving-home for children, it will be possible to effect a saving of about £940 per annum on the present staffing. It is proposed also to centralize the greater proportion of the work now being performed by the clerical staff at each school. By co-operation with the Postal Department the work connected with the collection of inmates' wages and the payments for children boarded out will be reduced by more than half. In all probability it will be found that a staff of two clerks and a cadet in the Head Office will perform the work which engages almost the entire time of at least ten clerks at the various schools and receiving-homes. The saving thus effected will be about £1,000 per annum. The clerical work at these schools can be still further reduced, and this matter will be taken up as soon as possible. In the past the clerical work that had to be performed at each of these schools was far too great, and too much of the responsible officer's time was devoted to I'outine office-work that could easily have been performed otherwise. Arrangements will also be made for the one office staff to carry out the clerical work connected with the receiving-home and the probation home, and the infant-life-protection work as well, in each of the centres. 19. Supervision of Farming Operations. —At most of the schools all the meat, milk, butter, eggs, vegetables, &c, are produced on the place. This method of supply has been considerably extended so as partly to provide for the needs of

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institutions in the cities, such as receiving-homes. Merely by interchanges of produce between the various institutions it is possible to save hundreds of pounds annually. During last year all the farms managed by the Department were visited by the Director of the Fields Division, and arrangements have now been made for the operations in agriculture to be supervised, by officers of the Department of Agriculture. Speaking generally, the Manager of an industrial school cannot be expected to be an expert agriculturist, and the proposed arrangement will add considerably to the efficiency of the institutions as a whole, and should improve the training of the boys in farm and garden work. 20. The Public Service Commissioner recently set up a committee of accountants to consider the question of a proper system of accounts, more especially for industrial and special schools and for the Head Office, so that the matter of stores and farming operations might be put on a satisfactory basis. After visiting all the institutions the committee drew up a very comprehensive report, giving details of their proposed system. This system has in general been adopted, and so far is working satisfactorily. It will prove a complete check on the value of the different operations carried on in connection with the farms at the various institutions, and will also provide a complete check for store purposes. Summary. To give some idea of the savings that will in course of time result from giving effect to the schemes above set out the following table has been prepared. Compared with the old system and its consequential development the saving effected in annual maintenance represents at least £26,500 per annum, and from a social point of view the results obtained will be decidedly more satisfactory : —

Capital E :ponditure. Annual Upk( Cost of eep. Liability. Saving. Liability. Saving. £ £ 21,000 8,000 £ £ 6,000 2,500 Establishment of institution for boys, not now necessary Subsidiary institution in connection with the Burnham Industrial School, not now necessary Rebuilding and extending first division building, Te Oranga Home, Christchurch, not now necessary Providing extra accommodation at the Auckland Industrial School Girls' SchoolsClosing Auckland Industrial School Closing Caversham Industrial School Closing Receiving-home, Christchurch (rented premises) Saving effected by probation scheme in Auckland last year . . Annual saving that will be effected by probation scheme in each of four centres based on proportion of commitments during last year (this amount will increase yearly)— Auckland Wellington Christchurch Dunedin Saving effected by placing inmates (estimated at 200) out from Weraroa, Stoke, Burnham, Te Oranga Home, Auckland, and Caversham Schools Saving in purchase, &c, of stores Establishment of probation or receiving homes in each of the four centres — Auckland Wellington. Christchurch Dunedin Alteration to Third Division building, Te Oranga Home, and provision for central building, offices, and receiving-home 6,000 1,500 8,500 9,000 2,000 ■■ I I. ,400 650 2,500 2,600 4,500 2,500 2,000 650 500 5,000 3,500 8,000 6,000 2,600 4,000 6,000 2,000 800 500 1,500 3,000 Totals 26,600 56,000 7,800 34,300 Estimated saving in capital expenditure : £56,000 - Annual saving in gross cost of annual upkeep : £34,. - £26,60C 300 - £7, ) = £29,4' ,800 = £5 00. 16,500.

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In conclusion 1 desire to state that in my opinion there is need for a complete statistical investigation of all the determinable personal, psychological, physical, moral, parental, material, industrial, economic, social, and educational factors that play a part in the life-history of the various classes of children who become wards of the State. Information concerning these factors should be standardized, analysed, and classified so as to present sufficient reliable and properly arranged data for a thorough investigation of one of the most insistent problems confronting the nation —the problem of the prevention of human wastage. In urging the necessity for such an investigation I am asking only that, in the interests of humanity and national efficiency, there should be given to this vital problem at least as careful, minute, and organized research as has been given, say, to the study of the classes and species of insects, their habits, and their life-history. The chief function of the State is to promote the well-being of the people, and to my mind there is no nobler way in which the State can exercise this function than in protecting the most valuable and yet the most fragile, the most helpless and yet the most responsive, members of the community from the evil conditions of life which threaten to defeat the child before he is able even to prepare for the battle of life. J. A. Hanan, Minister of Education.

Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not (riven ; printing (1,100 copies), £12.

Authority : Marcus F. Marks, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9l7.

Price lid.