E.—3

2

In this table the children maintained (1,158) are divided into the two classes of boarded out and resident, and the numbers in each class are shown for each school. It will be seen that in the Government and local schools there is an increase of 16, the number of boarded-out children being greater than it was a year ago by 19, and the number of resident children less by 3. In the private schools the increase is 13, the two boarded-out children having ceased to be chargeable, and 15 having been added to the number in residence. The number of inmates (in the legal sense) being 1,523, and the number maintained by the schools—either in residence or boarded out —'being 1,158, there remain 365 to be accounted for. There are 253 at service, 85 licensed, to reside with their friends, 3 are in hospital, 3 in lunatic asylums, 1 in a refuge, 1 in prison, and 19 absent without leave. Of the 19 absent without leave 4 belong to Kohimarama, 1 to Burnham, and 13 to Caversham, several of them being young persons who have left places of service without permission, and therefore are technically absconders. It is found that young persons otherwise well conducted sometimes commit this offence because they feel that a stigma attaches to them while they are known to be under the legal control of the manager of an industrial school. This control was intended to protect them against unworthy persons who, if it were relaxed, would be their legal guardians, but the intention is not always understood or appreciated. It is now the practice of the Department to move for the discharge of young persons when they appear to be quite capable of protecting themselves. The ages of the 19 absentees range'from ten to twenty. They are all boys except one. Some of the cases are of long standing, and only nine have been added to their number during the year. The number of girls belonging to the schools is 622 (out of 1,523); 240 residing in the schools ; 234 boarded out; 102 at service ; 41 with friends ; lin hospital; 2in a lunatic asylum; 1 in a refuge; and 1 who has left a place of service without leave. Of the 224 children received during the year 115 were simply destitute, 24 vagrant, 27 living in disreputable places, 13 "uncontrollable," 43 guilty of punishable offences, and 2 were admitted privately at the request of the parents. More than half had been pupils in "public schools," their number being 114; 30 had been at Roman Catholic Schools; lat a Church of England School; and 79 (many of whom were very young children) had not attended school, or nothing was known respecting their attendance. With respect to the religious belief in which they are to be brought up, 88 are described as belonging to the Church of England, 74 as Roman Catholic, 38 as Presbyterian, 20 as Wesleyan, 1 as Congregational, 1 as Lutheran, 1 as belonging to the " Christian Disciples," and las " Protestant." So far as can be gathered from the facts represented in Table U, it appears that there were 28 cases in which the character and conduct of both father and mother were unsatisfactory, besides 60 cases in which the father and 50 in which the mother was to blame ; 66 attributable to misfortune; and 20 cases in which the information is not sufficient to found an opinion upon.

TABLE U. —Admissions classified according to Parents' Circumstances and Character, 1887.

Note.—Of the 224 ohildrea admitted 12 were described as " illegitimate." The mothers of 20 were described as " prostitutes."

Mothers described as Children ot Dead. T.mintie Of GoO(1 Disbled Character Disabled, p Not known or not stated. Character. Deserters. Total. 'atliers described as— Dead Sick, lunatic, disabled, &c. .. Of good character (or poor).. Not known or not described Of bad character Deserters 2 4 13 1 19 IS 9 7 3 1 7 9 4 18 1 4 5 1 11 8 6 21 8 9 4 6 6 2 3 3 8 8 43 20 58 15 44 44 Totals 57 27 41 21 54 21. 224