E.—l

XXII

to cases in which want of parental control brings a child within the Industrial Schools Act or any other similar Act— e.g., Act—that may be passed. During the year 1899 113 inmates passed out of the control of the schools, namely: Discharged, 79; having reached the age of twenty-one years, 17; by transfer to the Costley Training Institution, 8; by marriage, 1; by death, 8. Of the eight deaths three were those of resident inmates —two girls, one from tubercular meningitis, and one from pneumonia, at St. Mary's, Auckland, and one girl at St. Mary's, Nelson, from pneumonia; three were deaths of inmates licensed to parents or friends—viz., one girl from pneumonia, one from pulmonary consumption, and one boy from cardiac disease; two were boys licensed to service—one from pneumonia, the other from blood-poisoning. Table U gives the fullest details available regarding the character of the parents of children admitted during the year and in respect to the causes of committal. It cannot be regarded as accurate in every, detail; more especially as to the causes of committal it should be noted, as remarked in last year's report, that the clause under which a child is sent to an industrial school is by no means a reliable index of the child's moral character. The religion of the 227 children admitted during the year was thus described: Church of England, 79; Eoman Catholic, 86 ; Presbyterian, 48 ; Methodist, 9 ; " Protestant," 4; Salvation Army, 1. Out of the total number, 53 were from Dunedin, 51 from Auckland, 32 from Wellington, and 12 from Christchurch, or 148 in all from the four chief centres of population. Of the smaller towns, Greymouth is rather prominent with 22 committals; the committals from other small towns and country districts are in every case under 10 in number.

TABLE U. —Admissions, classified according to Parents' Circumstances and Character, 1899.

The balance in the Post-Office Savings-Bank on 31st December, 1899, on account of the earnings of inmates on the books of Government industrial schools was £11,115 os. 5d., and on account of inmates belonging to private schools £1,411 14s. Id. The amount withdrawn during the year for inmates of Government schools was £625 7s. lid., and for inmates of private schools £27 9s.

'recede: it Condi ition of Childrei admitted in II )99. HP 0 © H EC o a & ""5 '& rl © efl o rH "S o 5 P *n to O © &a © S3 CD'S CO-n a a o 3 On. -r= a © a ID CO a rH t*. fi £a .2 •H O fcH 43 - O " -H © © to T3S OS «fi2 Total. 6 a 3 m co a a d 00 cd > Fathers, described as Mothers, described as Dead ir * * ■ ■ Sick, lunatic, &c. .. Good Unknown Dead Good Unknown Bad Good Bad Dead ... Sick, lunatic, &c. Good Bad Good Unknown Bad Deserter Dead Sick, lunatic, &o. Good .. Bad Dea3 Gooa Bad Deserter 10 5 "i 2 8 1 7 1 2 1 8 'i "2 i i i6 '2 io io i i '5 '4 1 2 5 1 3 2 5 3 20 2 1 i 1 i 12 12 1 25 5 2 19 4 31 14 3 4 19 1 4 1 5 45 8 6 5 1 Bad '2 1 2 1 4 2 19 7 5 3 1 3 1 i<j "2 Deserter i i i i Totals .. 83 11 60 15 55 227