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that they were much better looked after than would in all probability have been the case had they been boarded out in the usual manner. At the tame time it is to be doubted if it is, generally speaking, a wise thing to house young and old in the same building, though great care is taken to keep them apart. Under the present management there is little fear of anything untoward. The Old Men's Home at Timaru is a makeshift until the Board erect a better Home outside the town. This is shortly to be undertaken. The Jubilee Home at Wanganui is well managed, but the section on which it stands is too small to afford enough exercise or work for the inmates. The Jubilee Home, Christchurch, the Ashburton, Ohiro, and Oamaru Homes are well-appointed and well-managed institutions. The latter also has not enough land, but this may soon be rectified. The new Refuge at Parke Island, Napier, is now open. The buildings are well situated and designed. In addition to the above, the following have been visited : The Samaritan Home, Christchurch ; St. Mary's Homes, Otahuliu and Karori; the Refuge, Linwood, &c. I have seen enough of these Homes to say that, where possible, they should be well out of the towns, and on fairly large plots of land. The inmates have to be given leave at times, and the temptations of the town are often too strong for them. Consequently, the name and discipline of the institution suffers. Many inmates can also do a certain amount of work, which helps to keep them well content, and with less time to criticize those in authority over them. REPORT ON PRIVATE HOSPITALS. The private hospitals came under the supervision of the Hospitals Department on the Ist January, 1907. As under "The Private Hospitals Act, 1906," most of those already licensed by the Public Health Department would have been obliged to close, the licensees being unable to comply with the provisions of the Act, a special regulation was made, by which these hospitals could be carried on for a year. During this time they could be inspected, and given time to arrange affairs in accordance with the new regulations. Regulations under the Act have been framed and confirmed, and have now been issued to all holding licenses under the old and the new Acts. At the beginning of the year there were 293 private hospitals for which licenses had been issued by the Public Health Department; of these 193 have been inspected. The first visits paid were in Auckland, where there were nineteen houses licensed in and around the city. These vary very much in every way. Some are well-equipped, up-to-date, and comfortable houses, managed by registered nurses and midwives. Auckland is very well provided with accommodation for private patients. For surgical patients may be mentioned Miss Green, Miss Foote, Miss Morrison, the Mater Misericordiee (managed by Roman Catholic Sisters trained as nurses), and several others of a fair type. The Misses Margetts's maternity hospital is comfortable and homelike, also Mrs. Goddison's and several other small places suitable for the poorer class of patients. There are, however, one or two places which have been taking cases without license, and which will need careful watching. The hospitals in and around Wellington were next inspected, and there, also, among the twenty-one licensed nursing homes in the city and suburbs, there are several which should meet the requirements of private individuals whose circumstances prohibit them from making use of public institutions. For surgical and medical cases Miss Palmer has a very nice house, built for the purpose, and furnished with every convenience. The Misses Broadbent and Lucas also have a nice place, and Mrs. Dixon in Ellice Avenue. For maternity and minor gynaecological cases Mrs. Holgate has a nice house, and there are several other places fairly comfortable. Some of the licensees are not registered; others have passed the examination for midwives, held recently, and will be able to continue their work. In Christchurch and its suburbs there are a large number of licensed private hospitals, many of which can scarcely be dignified with the name of "hospital," as they are simply houses with one or two rooms used for patients. Altogether in Christchurch nineteen of these homes were inspected. Miss Turner has a very nice house, comfortable, and well equipped for surgical and medical cases. She has a good staff of registered nurses. Miss Collins's hospital also is quite satisfactory. Strathmore Private Hospital is a large place, with many appliances for treatment of different kinds. The Misses Beck and Wellsman have recently opened a good private hospital for surgical and medical cases. There are several very fair homes for maternity cases, as well as a good many of the small places in which one patient at a time is taken, and where the licensees are not registered midwives, and therefore cannot receive licenses for next year. At Dunedin twelve private hospitals were inspected. There are several very well-equipped places here, and the needs of the district should be well met, as far as medical and surgical cases are concerned. There is, however, no very good place for maternity private patients. A hospital recently opened is Stafford House, belonging to Miss Thomson, and carried on chiefly by Dr. Barnet. This is most up-to-date and complete, the theatre being equipped with many of the latest improvements for aseptic surgery. Miss Tombs also has a comfortable and well-equipped house, and Miss Sutherland of the Chalet, whose house was built for the purpose. There are, besides the Dunedin hospitals, about sixty licensed in Otago, which have not yet been inspected. Many of these are small places, managed by people who will not be eligible for license next year