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1909. - 1910. £ c. d. £ 1». >d. The amount of parental contributions was . . 5,786 8 5 5,575 8 6 Rate per head for children maintained . 3 13 11 3 8 5 Details respecting the number of children mi the books i>l industrial schools at the end of the year are given in Table 15. The net expenditure on accouni of industrial schools during the year showed an increase of £152 2s. as compared with the preceding year. The following statement fives particulars : 1909. 1910. £ t>. d. £ a. d. Cost of maintenance of schools.. .. .. 19.831 5 2 17.960 8 2 Boarding out (exclusive <>\ '■<■*! of administration, inspection, Ac.) .. .. .. .. 13,31!» o 6 13,962 16 5 Salaries 8,15] :s 8 8,816 2 2 New buildings and works, and purchase of property 5,838 2 0 10.330 6 2 Salaries, travelling-allowances, and expenses of certain departmental officers (Inspectors, visil ing officers. &c) . .. .. .. 1.424 14 9 1.458 19 4 Sundry payments .. .. .. .. 186 15 0 107 711 Gross total .. .. .. .. .. 48,751 1 1 52,636 0 2 Recoveries .. .. .. .. .. 15,193 8 I 15.701 5 2 Net ooel .. .. .. .. .. £33,557 J 3 0 £36.934 15 0* (* Including £3,225 paid from National Endowment revenue.) Further details of the expenditure on industrial schools during the year are contained iji Tables II and 12. Payments by Charitable Aid Boards for mainteo 1909. 1910. ance of children who came into Government schools owing to indigence (included in the i c. d. t ». d. mtalsuni recovered) .. .. .. 8.612 16 3 vt.450 1 1 Number of children at the end of the year belonj>inu to Government schools who were so paid for .. 596 678 Number maintained at the expense of Charitable Aid Boards at private industrial schools .. IS2 98 The amount paid by the Charitable Aid Boards on account of children sent to the private industrial schools as indigent is not stated here, as the Managers of these schools make their claims upon the Boards without reference to the Education Department. At the end of the year the amount in the Post-Office Savings Bank held in trust in the names of inmates and former inmates of industrial schools was £27,052 6s. 4d., the Government schools accounts having £23,710 4s. 9d. to credit, and the private (Roman Catholic) schools £3,342 Is. 7d. The total sums withdrawn from these accounts during tin , year were £3.369 14s. Bd. and £181 18s. 4d. respectively. These moneys represent the earnings of boys and girls in situations away from the schools, or of those in residence under training, whose services are worth more than the cost of their maintenance. According to law, it is at the discretion of the Minister of Education whether payment (with interest) is eventually made to these young people or not. In practice they do receive payment where there is evidence that the applicant's record after the control of the school has ceased has been good, and that he has a proper investment for the money. In exercise of his discretion the Minister may order forfeiture of the money where a former inmate proves his unworthiness to receive it. In such a case the amount is credited to the Public Account. The following figures are taken from 12 and 13 of the Appendix :- £ s. d. Government expenditure on private schools .. .. .. 2,200 0 0 Government expenditure on special cases at other institutions . . 146 0 0 k INFANT-LIFE PROTECTION. At the end of the year the number of foster-homes licensed under the Infants Act was 706, and the number of children maintained in them for the whole or part of the year was 1,183, of whom 469 were under one year old. The total number of deaths was 26, equal to 2-19 per cent. The report of the Secretary for Education gives detailed information as regards the various phase* of the work. The expenditure for the year, amounting to £982 fs. id., is accounted for as follows : — £ c. d. Salaries of Visiting Nurses and local representatives .. .. .. 606 0 0 Travelling-expenses c>l Districi Agents, Visiting Nurses, and local representatives .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 215 19 0 Payments to foster-parents for board of infants . . . . . . 103 6 4 Office expenses (including rent) and sundries . . . . . . 83 11 10 //#«» recoveries . . . . . . . . . . .. 26 12 10