E.—l

The number of inmates who during 1903 ceased to be under the control of industrial schools was 169. Of these 112 were discharged by warrant, 42 reached twenty-one years of age, 2 were married, and 13 died. Of this total 117 were of good character, 7 fair, and 12 bad; 8 were weak-minded, 9 were missing, 6 were adopted or discharged under fifteen years of age, 9 under that age died, and 1 was sent to a school under a misapprehension. As in the previous year the number of deaths (13) was above the average. The medical certificates show that of the six inmates who were in residence at the time of death, 1 died of rheumatic fever, 1 of tubercular meningitis, 1 of pneumonia, 1 of marasmus, and two boys met with violent deaths, one being burned to death at the destruction by fire of the Stoke branch of St. Mary's Industrial School, Nelson, and one was found drowned in a well at the Burnham Industrial School. Four boarded-out children died—l of pneumonia, 1 of apnoea from disease of the brain, 1 infant from natural causes, and 1 of peritonitis. One girl died in the hospital from the effects of phosphorus poisoning, self-administered while at service, and 1 boy died in a lunatic asylum of epilepsy and marasmus. The number of admissions during the year (231) shows a decrease of 13 from the number for 1902. Of these 41 were sent from Dunedin, 74 from Wellington, 29 from Auckland, and 27 from Christchurch. Of the remaining 60 children, no one town or country district sent more than 8 to the schools. Erom information taken from the Magistrates' orders it is found that the religious denominations in which the children who were admitted are to be brought up are : Church of England, 124; Eoman Catholic, 62; Presbyterian, 25; Methodist, 11; Baptist, 4 ; and 5 are described as Protestant.

TABLE J2.—Admissions, classified according to Parents' Circumstances and Character, 1903.

At the end of 1903 there was in the Post-Office Savings-Bank on account of the earnings of inmates of Government industrial schools a sum of £12 070 7s. 5d., and on account of inmates of private industrial schools £2,721 12s. 3d. For inmates of Government schools a sum of £1,115 14s. lid. was withdrawn during the year, and for inmates of private schools £73 15s. 9d.

XXI

Preceden Condii ;ion of in 190, Childn i sn admi Ltted Fathers, described as Mothers, described as .5 •» «§. a © r^ ftO^© — a © a ° © © 3 a o -H a o © a p «rH CO o © © © co ■-« 3 a © 3 <!* +3 a © a © Ofl a Total. 9 © a § CC! r" Dead Dead Sick, lunatic, &c. .. Good Bad Deserter Dead Sick, lunatic, &c. .. Good Unknown Bad Deserter Dad Sick, lunatic, &c. .. Good Unknown Bad Deserter Dead Good Bad Deserter .. (iood Bad Deserter 1 1 17 1 1 3 2 1 26 7 1 16 6 31 6 22 1 7 2 21 4 24 1 9 18 IS 2 2 2 2 Go'od 6 3 7 5 i 1 i 2 3 2 6 2 1 4 2 20 3 4 1 2 i 1 1 i i "l i Unknown .. 3 2 21 4 14 1 1 io Bad" .. 6 12 7 2 2 1 2 5 3 1 8 6 3 Deserter i Totals 119 18 25 56 231