E.—4.

Classified according to tlie age at the time of admission, the numbers, including temporary admissions and those admitted under section 12, Child Welfare Act, are as follows : Under six months, 50 ; over six months and under one year, 31 ; from one to five years, 78 ; from five to ten years, 84 ; from ten to fourteen years, 120 ; over fourteen years, 129. The length of period of residence for the children temporarily admitted was from one day to seven weeks. Of the children in foster-homes at the 31st March, 1935, 110 over the age of fourteen years were receiving further education, 52 at primary schools and 58 at secondary or technical schools. Furthermore, 21 children under the age of fourteen years were receiving higher education. In addition, there were 20 residing in hostels receiving secondary education.

No. 2,—STATEMENT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE CHILD WELFARE BRANCH FOE THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1935. Cases appearing before Children's Courts. The number of children dealt with by the Children's Courts during the year was 2,245, and of these 669 were placed under the supervision of Child Welfare Officers. Of the children placed under supervision, 63 were subsequently committed to the care of the Superintendent, and 11 were placed on extended supervision. The number actually admitted to institutions such as receiving-homes, special schools, training-farms, &c., was 442, but all of these, with the exception of 106 (73 boys and 33 girls) who required further training, were suitably provided for in the community before the close of the year. The other children (1,123) appearing before the Courts were dealt with in a manner not calling for supervision by a Child Welfare Officer (see details below). At the 31st March, 1935, there was a total number of 917 children under the supervision of Child Welfare Officers by order of the Courts. Of the number (669) placed under supervision this year, 67 had previously been dealt with by the Courts. The Magistrate ordered 1 child to spend a period in an institution. The following statement indicates the number appearing before all such Courts, and the action taken : Committals, 442 ; supervision, 662 ; extended supervision, 18 ; admonished and discharged, 678; dismissed, 54 ; returned to institutions, 32 ; adjourned, 30 ; convicted and fined, 21 ; Borstal, 16 ; convicted and discharged, 7 ; remanded, 5 ; probation, 5 ; admonished and ordered to make restitution, 4 ; ordered to an institution, 3 ; referred to Magistrate's Court, 2 ; ordered to come up for sentence, 2 ; birched, 2 ; admonished and fined, 2 ; driver's license cancelled, 1 ; supervision order varied, 1. By-law cases : Admonished and discharged, 168 ; convicted and fined, 65 ; convicted and costs, 19 ; dismissed, 5 ; convicted and discharged, 1 : Total by-law cases, 258. Of the total, 650 were charged with theft; 230, wilful damage ; 204, indigency ; 165, not under proper control; 157, delinquency ; 118, mischief ; 109, breaking, entering, and theft; 56, detrimental environment; 47, conversion; 34, throwing stones; 23, indecent assault; 19, disorderly conduct; 16, receiving ; 9, dangerous driving ; 7, assault; 8, neglected ; 11, discharging firearms ; 7, false pretences ; 8, common assault; 6, idle and disorderly ; 6, obscene language ; 5, attempted theft" 5, breach of supervision ; 3, carnal knowledge ; 3, attempted breaking, entering, and theft; 3, unlawfully on premises ; 3, cruelty to animals ; 3, obscene writing ; 2, attempted carnal knowledge ; 2, attempted suicide ; 2, breaking and entering ; 2, rape ; 2, lorgery ; 2, smoking ; 1, arson ; 1, vagrancy ; 1, negligent riding ; 1, attempted indecent assault; 1, driving without license ; 1, aiding and abetting ; 1, application for rehearing ; 1, drunkenness ; 24, breach of Motor-vehicles Act; 2, breach of Acclimatization Act; 7, breach of Licensing Act,; 16, breach of Arms Act; 1, breach of Prisons Act; 1, breach of Fisheries Act; 1, breach of Fire Brigades Act; and 258, breach of city by-laws: total, 2,245. The records show that of the numbers dealt with 166 had been before the Courts for previous offences. In addition to the above, there were 18 cases dealt with by the Magistrates under the provisions of section 17 of the Amendment Act, 1927, and the informations dismissed as trivial; while there were also 90 cases in which, as the result of consultation between the Child Welfare Officer and the Police, the informations were regarded as of insufficient importance to warrant Court action, the children concerned being adequately dealt with otherwise, usually as preventive cases under the supervision of a Child Welfare Officer for a period. Preventive Work. An important part of the work of the Child Welfare Officers is that of adjusting conditions in homes and in connection with families in order to prevent the committal of children to the care of the State, or of coming before the Courts at all. In very many cases parents whose children are difficult to manage avail themselves of the services of Child Welfare Officers for the purpose of supervision and friendly guidance. At the end of the year there was a total number of 1,161 children being dealt with in this connection. Table 1 shows the number of cases notified during the year.

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