E.—4,

8

Deaths in Foster-homes and Exempted Institutions. Of the 1,623 infants who were at one time on the books as being in foster-homes during 1928, two died in hospitals. One infant was under one year and the other was five years of age, and both were of illegitimate birth. The following is a statement of the number of deaths since 1924 : —

Table 4.

Table 5. —Adoptions dueing the Yeae 1928. During the year 371 orders of adoption were made. Thirty-six of the adoption orders provided for premium, and 335 were without monetary consideration. The following table shows the ages of the adopted children : —

The adopting parents were —Husband and wife iointly, 350 ; widow, 10 ; widower. 3 ; spinster, 6 ; bachelor, 2 : total, 371. The amounts of the premiums ranged from £10 to £350. Two adoption orders were revoked. Illegitimacy. 1928. 1927. Illegitimate births registered .. .. .. . . .. 1,383 1,387 Number of illegitimate children aged twelve months or less brought under the Infants Act .. .. . . .. .... 357 278 Illegitimate children under six years in licensed foster-homes at 31st, December 731 632 Deaths amongst Illegitimate Children for Year ended 31st December, 1928. Under six months .. .. 51 Between four and five years . . .. 1 Over six months and under one year .. 5 Between five and six years .. .. 5 Between one and two years .... 11 — Between two and three years .. .. 2 Total .. .. . . 76 Between three and four years .. .. 1

Table 6. —Births and Deaths of Illegitimate Children Compared for Year 1928.

Foster-homes. j Exempted Institutions, Year. Number of Number of Percentage of Number of Number of Percentage of Deaths. Infants. Deaths. Deaths. Infants. Deaths. 1924 .. .. 5 1,213 0-41 21 1,175 1-78 1925 .. .. 5 1,301 0-38 12 1,638 0-73 1926 .. .. 1 1,423 0-07 18 3,196 0-56 1927 .. .. 9 1,539 0-58 35 3,603 0-97 1928 .. .. 2 1,623 0-12 17 2,324 0-73

Age of Child. With Premium. Without Totals. ° .Premium. Under six months .. .. .. .. 14 51 65 Between six months and one year .... 8 29 37 Between one year and five years .. .. 13 155 168 Between five years and ten years . . .. 1 51 52 Between ten years and fifteen years .. .. .. 49 49 Totals .. .. 36 335 371

Legitimate. Illegitimate. ear - Death-rate Death-rate Births. Deaths. per 1,000 Births. Deaths. per 1,000 Live Births. Live Births. 1924 .. .. 26,676 1,033 38-60 1,338 94 70-20 1925 .. .. 26,821 1,056 39-33 1,332 69 51-80 1926 .. .. 28,270 1,054 37-28 1,473 78 52-95 1927 .. .. 26,494 1,011 38-159 1,387 77 55-51 1928 .. .. 25,817 928 35-945 1,383 56 40-49