E.—l.

XXVIII

Under the Act of 1882, children are committed for detention in an industrial school till they attain the age of fifteen years, unless placed out under license or discharged; but they all continue under the legal guardianship of the manager, or the person to whom the guardianship may be transferred, until the age of twenty-one years is reached, unless previously discharged. The number over fifteen years under guardianship at the end of the year was as follows : — Total, Total, Males. Females. 1884. 1883. In service ... ... ... 42 32 74 48 With friends ... ... ... 7 6 13 34 On the school staffs ... ... ... ... ... 8 Waiting for situations, or incapacitated for service by sickness, &c. ... 1 16 17 34 Missing ... ... ... 4 1 5 9 Total... ... ... 54 55 109 133 Eeference has already been made to the causes that account for an increase in the number at service and for a decrease in the number placed with friends and awaiting situations. Experience has shown that it is not advisable, as a rule, to place any of these young people on the school staff, and that it is better to procure situations for them in suitable families. The particulars given in lines 15-20 of Table E, and the classification (in Table S) of the parents of the 313 committed children, supply information bearing on the causes of committal.

TABLE S.—Committed Children classified according to Parents' Circumstances and Character.

The fathers only of 70 children, and the mothers only of 58, were dead, and 10 had lost both parents by death ; the fathers only of 6 children, and the mothers only of 9, were sick, lunatic, or disabled, and in regard to 3 children both parents were entered under this head. The fathers only of 55 children, and the mothers only of 98, were of good character (or described simply as poor), and 26 had both parents well reported of. The fathers only of 8 children, and the mothers only of 18, were unknown to the authorities, and in regard to 5 children there was no information about either parent. The fathers only of 32 children, and the mothers only of 41, were of bad character, and in the cases of 19 children both parents were of evil reputation. The fathers only of 68 children, and the mothers only of 15, had deserted them, and 11 had been abandoned by both parents. Table S furnishes data for the following classification of the parents' character : — Character. Fathers only of Mothers only of Both Parents of 1. Presumably good ... ... 39 children 73 children 131 children 2. Undoubtedly bad ... ... 83 39 47 3. Not stated ... ... 8 18 5 The information given in Table T respecting the parents of the 28 children placed in orphanages without being committed is also suggestive:—■

Mothers described as Children of Dead. Sick, Lunatic, Disabled, &c. Of Good Character (or poor). Not known or not stated. Of Bad Character. Deserters. Total. 'athers described as— Dead Sick, lunatic, disabled, &o. .. Of good character (or poor) .. Not known or not described .. Of bad character Deserters 10 30 a 3 55 1 20 8 5 9 1 9 3 7 6 19 16 2 10 2 1 11 80 9 81 13 51 79 17 11 i 2 4 ' 38 Total 124 68 12 23 60 20 313