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No. S.—COSTLEY TRAINING INSTITUTION. Sir,— Auckland, 23rd January, 1911. Attached is a copy of the yearly accounts to 31st December, 1910, which will be audited in due course by the Government Auditor. I have, &c, C. Hudson, The Minister of Education, Wellington. Hon. Secretary. Costley Training Institution. Balance-sheet for the Year ending 31st December, 1910. LiabilHien. Assets. I s. (I. £ s. (I. Costley bequu.it .. £12,150 0 (I Loans on mortem;!- .. .. .. 13,960 0 0 Hodge bequest .. 742 3 9 Interest accrued .. .. .. 140 13 t> - 12.892 3 9 Bank of New Zealand .. .. 5 19 9 Boys' Trust Accouni . . .. .. 12 0 6 Revenue Account .. . . .. 932 4 2 Jackson and Russell .. .. ... 270 410 £14,106 13 3 £14,106 13 3 Revenue Account for the Year ending 31st December, 1910. I B. d. £ s. (I. To Expenses (office rent, £25) .. .. 37 311 By Balance as per last, account .. .. 446 11 f> Maintenance of boys, &c. .. .. 64 17 0 Interest . . .. .. .. 558 8 8 Balance as per balanoe-sheet above .. 932 4 2 Rent .. .. .. .. 29 S 0 £1,034 5 1 j £1,034 5 1 Auckland. 23rd January, 1911. C. Hudson, Hon. Secretary and Treasurer. Examined and found correct. —Robert .1. Collins, Controller and Auditor-General.

No. 6.—INFANT-LIFE PROTECTION. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION. Education Department, Wellington, 31st May, 1911. The Hon. the Minister of Education. I submit the following report on the work of the Department in respect of infant-life protection for the year 1910. During the year the Act has been amended by repeal of the section which laid down the legal procedure to be followed for recovery of moneys paid to foster-parents by the Crown on the default of the parents to meet their obligations for the maintenance of the infants, and all proceedings of this kind are now to be taken under the Destitute Persons Act. It has previously been reported that the provisions of the Act in this respect were unworkable, and that the intention to guarantee foster-parents against the loss in which their confidence sometimes involves them could not be carried into effect. Experience of the new enactment is not yet sufficient for the expression of any opinion with regard to its efficacy in this particular direction. It is satisfactory to be able to report, however, that on the whole the agreements between parents and foster-parents are well kept, and that few cases of such hardship as it was intended to remedy I>\ the provision referred to have come under the Department's notice. Numbers. The number of infants that have been dealt with directly by the Department in connection with licensed foster-homes during the year is 1,183 ; the number for last year was 1,181. Of this class there were 680 on the books at the end of the year, being 46 less than there were at the beginning of the year. There were in addition 422 in exempted institutions under the Department's inspection, making a total of 1,102 infants being dealt with under the Act on 31st December, 1910—28 more than at the corresponding period of the previous year. The distribution of the infants between foster-homes and institutions changed considerably, for while the former lost 46 the latter gained 118. The number placed in foster-homes was 68 less than during the previous year, and the number removed from the homes was larger by 24. Of the institutions there are now three more than there were last year, and as they take children for a more or less nominal payment they must be expected to exercise an attraction against which the fosterhome cannot compete.