E.—4,

20

Table 18.—Average Cost of maintaining Inmates in Institutions established under the Child Welfare Act, for Year ended 31st March, 1928. £ [s. d. Gross cost of maintaining inmates .. .. .. .. .. .. 129,829 010 Add excess of liabilities at 31st March, 1928, over those of 31st March, 1927 .. 1,676 8 11 131,505 9 9 Less— £ b. d. Direct expenditure on service inmates .. .. .. 3,479 5 7 Issues from institutions and stores .. .. .. .. 3,142 0 8 Salaries of Child Welfare Officers, Infant-life Protection Agents, and proportion of Managers and office staffs of institutions .. 11,898 3 5 Travelling-expenses of Child Welfare Officers, Infant-life Protectection Agents, &c. (estimated at two-thirds of expenditure, £6,944 9s. 2d.) .. .. .. .. .. 4,629 12 9 Refund of inmates' earnings .. .. .. .. 48 8 8 Rent, office requisites, &c. (two - thirds of expenditure, £1,929 7s. 2d.) .. .. .. .. .. 1,286 4 9 Law costs .. .. .. .. .. .. 69 1 2 ■— — 24,552 17 0 Cross cost of inmates a eharge on the State .. .. £106,952 12 9 Number of inmates maintained (including inmates in residence at Government schools, boarded out, hospitals, convalescent homes, &c.) .. .. .. .. .. 2,516 Average cost per week per inmate— £ s. d. Gross .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0 16 4 Recoveries .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..040 Net .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. £0 12 4 The net cost to the State of maintaining children under the Child Welfare system is therefore 12s. 4d. per head per week. Table 19. —Government Expenditure on Private (Roman Catholic) Schools, 1927-28. For the maintenance of State wards who are inmates of the four private institutions recognized under the Child Welfare Act, 1925, the Department pays capitation at the rate of 10s. a week each. The following table indicates the expenditure under this heading : — £ s. d. St. Mary's, Auckland .. .. .. .. .. .. 325 14 2 St. Joseph's, Upper Hutt .. .. .. .. .. 580 18 6 St. Mary's, Nelson .. .. .. .. .. .. 221 7 1 St. Vincent de Paul's, Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. 153 3 8 £1,281 3 5 Table 19a. —Government Expenditure on the Maintenance of Inmates sent to other Institutions, 1927-28. £ s. d. Salvation Army Home, Auckland .. .. .. .. 14 15 6 Mount Magdala Home, Christchurch .. .. .. .. 12 7 0 Salvation Army Home, Christchurch .. .. .. .. 6 6 0 Essex Home, Christchurch .. .. .. .. 11 17 10 Redroofs Maternity Home, Dunedin .. .. .. 10 10 0 St. Joseph's, Invereargill .. .. .. .. .. ..048 £56 1 0 Table 19b.—Gross Recoveries from Parents and Others. 1926-27. 1927-28. £ s. d. £ s. d. Child Welfare 21,976 3 4 19,872 19 2 Special Schools 2,404 2 5 2,600 8 4 Charitable Aid Board (Special Schools) .. .. 1,650 18 5 1,856 10 8 £26,031 4 2 £24,329 18 2