e Need for Continuous Expert Investigation

In the course of our study of this problem it was frequently pointed
out to us that there was a real need for a thorough and continuous
study of this problem by those who from their training, experience, and
occupation were best qualified to advise as to the scope and extent of
the problem, as to its general causes, and as to the practical ways of
dealing with it. From information in the possession of the police and
of the Department of Justice it appeared that the extent of the evil
was in fact not so alarming as one might be induced to believe by a
perusal of the reports in the newspapers; there was, however, plenty of
evidence to suggest that misconduct amongst adolescents was increasing
and that this aspect of the matter was one for grave concern. There was
support for these views in written memoranda submitted by two of our
Magistrates, Mr Sinclair and Mr M. C. Astley. The Secretary for Justice
and Controller-General of Prisons, Mr S. T. Barnett, wrote as follows:

"My suggestion is that, as a first step, the Ministers in charge of
social Departments, e.g., Education, Child Welfare, Justice,
Police, should be requested to direct their Permanent Heads to
concert together and get down to a group study of the problem and
report to Government on the practical measures to meet it.

"Within these Departments are experts who can get down to the facts
and who ought to be able to propound some suggestions to ameliorate
the present unsatisfactory state of affairs. They should, of
course, be authorized, and indeed requested, to enlarge the
departmental group and to take in representatives of principal
welfare organizations."

The suggestions made by Mr Barnett were adopted, and the work
recommended by him is being carried on. The results have not yet
been made available to us.

We think that in matters of this kind fact finding carried out by
experts in a thoroughly scientific manner is fundamental, and in a
later portion of this report we have a specific recommendation to
make on this subject.

Specific Recommendations of Mazengarb Committee Relative
to Child Welfare Administration

In paragraph (4) of the report of the Mazengarb Committee--pages
57 to 60 inclusive--there are a number of comments and suggestions
relating to the Child Welfare Act and its administration. We have
examined these paragraphs very carefully, and we set