15

E.—4

Under the provisions of the Industrial Schools Act, 1909, power is given for the detention beyond the age of twenty-one years of any inmate who, upon application being made to a Magistrate by the Manager of the school at the direction of the Minister of Education, is found, to be morally degenerate or otherwise not (in the public interest) a fit person to be free from control. In the nine years since this Act came into operation there have been eighty-eight orders issued extending the period of control, sixty-three of the inmates concerned being girls. The Act provides for extension for four years, and gives power to the Court on similar procedure to renew the order from time to time for a period of four years. It is expected that the number of those over whom authority beyond twenty-one years will be needed will always be small in proportion to the whole number of inmates ; but the value of such an enactment in respect of the remainder who have to be detained is obvious, both in their own interests and in that of the community at large.

No. S.—INFANT-LIFE-PROTECTION STATISTICS.

Particulars of Children admitted to and removed from Licensed Foster-homes during 1921.

Rates of Payments by Parents or Guardians. An account of the rates paid is given in the following statement: — 1 at the, rate of ss. per week. 26 at the rate of 17s. 6d. per week. 1 „ 6s. „ 96 „ 20s. 5 „ 7s. 6d. „ 3 „ 21s. 5 „ Bs. „ 1 „ 225. 6d. 1 „ 9s. „ 11 „ 255. 133 .. 10s. „ 10 „ 30s. 1 „ 10s. 6d. „ 1 „ 425. 1 „ 10s. lOd. ~ 6 adopted with premium (10s. per week), fl „ Us- „ 1 (12s. 6d. „ 26 „ 12s. „ 29 „ (]ss. 126 „ 12s. 6d. „ 1 „ (235. 2 „ 13s. „ 1 „ (40s. 3 „ 14s. „ 1 „ (60s. 196 „ 15s. ~ 13 adopted without premium, but who 1 ~ 15s. 6d. ~ are still under supervision. 2 „ 16s. 1 „ 17s. The following is a comparison of the rates paid during the last five years : — 1917. 1918. 1919. 1920. 1921. Under 7s. per week. . .. 19 11 7 2 2 7s. and under 10s. per week 75 52 53 22 11 10s. per week .. .. 532 502 368 240 133 Over 10s. per week .. 215 294 376 531 508

-3 a 3 b0 (D O P -d "H •3 o PI !H Hi 00 ffl CM CO a bo S bp fjrj <] c? <q d ° d ° D '« CJ as (D f-" (D Ph ft S is g "St* <D>H -a 6 S 60 cs<j CO HH S g T3 6 a wj M-H rt ° 00 f O0 I CO ii i CO 13 <£ C 60 C8<j IOhh a ° I CD V) I CD Ph it S CO rH to iS i K"l 60 CO "I rH H--oo o > O o On the books at 31st December, 1920 Placed in licensed homes during the year 75 105 109 136 116 93 69 94 797 160 75 108 60 49 39 21 9 521 Totals 235 180 217 196 165 132 90 103 1,318 Withdrawn from homes — Eemoved by parents or guardians Deaths Adoptions without premiums In homes to which exemption was granted Brought under the operation of the Industrial Schools Act Written off the books for various causes , 27 45 78 50 49 46 19 29 343 2 5 1 8 1 1 1 11 12 3 1 1 6 i l 3 1 2 6 48 7 1 6 9 8 5 5 1 4 39 6 13 34 24 13 16 11 52 169 Total withdrawals 41 74 136 96 ' 74 69 35 87 612 On the books at 31st December, 1921 65 67 168 95 98 94 50 69 706