E.—l

XXII

of more definite industrial training into the schools—such as that given, for instance, in the workshops lately erected at Burnham—will still further increase the chances of success in the treatment of those committed to the schools. A second officer was appointed in August, 1900, to visit inmates boarded out with foster-parents, residing with friends on probation, and at service ; and for the same work one of the two Assistant Inspectors of Industrial Schools appointed in January of the present year will be partly available. These officers have to make themselves acquainted with the individual circumstances of some 1,050 children. The work is constant and responsible, but the additional supervision thus provided over non-resident inmates, supplementing the watchful care exercised by the managers and official correspondents of the schools and the local visitors, will, it is hoped, render the boarding-out and licensing systems even more successful than they have been before. From time to time regulations have been issued dealing with various matters that concern industrial-school inmates, but no complete set of regulations has hitherto been drawn up. Indeed, until the passing of the Act of last year, there was no power given to make regulations, except in regard to one or two matters, for the management of private industrial schools. Shortly, however, a set of regulations dealing with industrial-school matters generally, and applying to Government and private schools alike, will be issued; and it is hoped that the issue of definite instructions on all the most important points will tend to the more efficient management of all the schools. During the year 1900 157 inmates ceased to be under the control of the schools —namely, discharged, 112; having reached the age of twenty-one years, 23; by transfer to the Costley Training Institution, 6; by marriage, 5; by death, 11. The number of deaths (11) was unusually high. Of these, six were deaths of inmates in hospital—namely, two from phthisis, one from sarcoma of lung, one from tubercular peritonitis, one from cardiac disease and pneumonia, and one from typhoid fever; two were children boarded out, both of whom died of tubercular meningitis; and three in residence died of meningitis, double pneumonia, and acute gastritis respectively. The number admitted during the year was 192 —namely, 51 from Wellington, 39 from Auckland, 36 from Dunedin, 25 from Christchurch, and 41 from the smaller towns and. country districts, the committals from the latter being in every case under 8 in number. .Describing the children admitted according to their religion, we find that 98 are set down as belonging to the Church of England; Soman Catholic, 56; Presbyterian, 25 ; Methodist, 8; Baptist, 2; Congregational, 1; Church of Christ, 1; "Protestant," 1.

TABLE U.—Admissions, classified according to Parents' Circumstances and Character, 1900.

Preoi sdent Oi mditio: of Chil .dren ai Lmitted in 1900. s .8 . OS II 6 1 •4-1 05 O Qi •g*f 'o rl si I a a h i o |3S Total. 6 P 'Eg o 43 c3 H 3a Fathers, described as Mothers, described as Dead .. 3ick, lunatic, &c. 3ood Unknown Dead Sick, lunatio, &o. Good Bad .. Deserter Dead Good Dead Sick, lunatio, &o. Good Bad Deserter Dead Sick, lunatio, &o. Good Unknown Bad .. Dead Sick, lunatic, &o. Good Bad Dead Good 5 5 2 4 1 *2 6 4 1 9 1 6 4 2 11 i i 2 *2 j 1 o 5 14 1 2 *2 4 1 2 1 6 5 2 1 2 2 19 4 1 1 8 2 13 11 4 4 1 7 2 27 26 1 7 1 12 2 8 10 2 14 20 2 8 1 2 1 2 1 Bad " .. 5 2 1 2 1 17 Deserter 2 8 Totals .. 73 1 14 36 13 55 192