E.—l

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The amount paid by the Charitable Aid Boards on account of children sent to the four 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. Moneys are on deposit at interest in the Post Office Savings-bank that were earned by young people who are, or while under control were, in situations, or who, though it is advisable to have them in residence, are able to do work of more value than the cost of their keep. The disposal of these moneys is by law at the discretion of the Minister of Education, who may direct that payment be made either to the earner or to the Public Account. In practice payment is made to an applicant who, after the control of the school has ceased, shows evidence of good chaiacter, and that the proposed investment of the money is likely to be to his lasting advantage. On the other hand, the Minister may order forfeiture of the money when a former inmate proves that he is unworthy of consideration. At the end of the year the total amount deposited in the Post Office Savingsbank on account of the earnings of young people who are now or were formerly under the control of industrial schools was £32,983 17s. Id., the Government schools accounts having £28,814 Is. Id. to credit, and the private (Roman Catholic) school's £4,169 16s. The withdrawals from these accounts during the year were £4,189 10s. 2d. and £343 12s. 9d. respectively. Infant-life Protection. The infant-life protection system deals with children under six years of age who are placed privately by their parents or guardians in foster-homes for payment. To a large extent they are the illegitimate children of young girls. They are not, as industrial-school children are, under State guardianship, but the homes of the foster-parents are licensed to receive children, the number that may be retained in the home being limited strictly by the license according to the capacity of the home. The number of homes thus licensed was 1,122 at the end of the year, and the number of children in them during the year was 1,423, an increase of 93 over last year. Of this total the number of infants under one year was 570. Twenty children died, being 1-40 per cent, of those in the homes. Of the twenty children who died, ten were in foster-homes, and ten in hospitals or nursing--homes to which they had been removed for treatment, so that the deaths in fosterhomes represented 0-70 per cent, of the total number dealt with. The expenditure for the year ended the 31st March, 1915, was £1,374, as follows :— £ Salaries of visiting nurses and local representatives .. .. .. 1,018 Travelling-expenses of district agents, visiting nurses, and local representatives .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 216 Payment to foster-parents for board of infants . . .. .. 120 Medical attendance .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15 Office expenses (including rent) and sundries .. .. .. .. 76 1,445 Less recoveries .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 i Total .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,374 For the. preceding year the amount was £1,352. School for the Dkaf, Sumner. • Number of pupils who returned to the school in February, .1914, after the summer vacation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 102 Number admitted during the school year .. .. 12 Left during or at the end of the school year .. 13 Number remaining on the roll after the close of the school year .. .. 101