ld Welfare is under the control of the Minister
of Education and the Director of Education. But his duties do not appear
to be integrated with those of the Education Department. The work of the
Division appears to be more associated with the police and the Courts
than the Education Department. In former times "industrial schools"
conveniently came under the Education Department. But nowadays, when
very many of the children committed to the care of the State are boarded
out among foster-parents, the work of the Child Welfare Division is more
closely associated with that of "Justice" than "Education".

The establishment, a few years ago, of a Ministry of Social Welfare, and
the urgent need for more preventive work to be done, suggest the
possibility of better administration if "Child Welfare" were given an
independent status under the control of the Ministry for Social
Welfare.

_(c) No Regulations Under the Act_

The Acts of 1925 and 1927 made provision for the gazetting of
regulations. In particular, clause 45 of the 1925 Act contemplated
regulations (_inter alia_) "regulating the appointment and prescribing
the duties of Child Welfare Officers". After the lapse of twenty-nine
years those duties have still not been defined and gazetted.

Furthermore, "Child Welfare Officers" are, under section 6, "officers of
the Public Service". It is astounding, therefore, to hear that, year by
year, "Honorary Child Welfare Officers" are appointed. The Committee has
been informed that this year 179 people were appointed or reappointed as
"honorary" officers, although there is no statutory authority for their
appointment and their duties are not prescribed.

The Superintendent, in his evidence regarding honorary Welfare Officers
stated: "Some of them have nominal office only. They have the name and
that is all it amounts to". Such a position cannot be regarded as
satisfactory. If any of them do perform useful functions (as to which no
opinion can be here expressed) at least their duties should be defined.
It is very easy (as happened a few weeks ago) for a person to pose as a
Child Welfare Officer in such circumstances as pertain at present.

_(d) No Special Selection of Magistrates_

The Act contemplates (section 27 of 1925 and section 16 of 1927) that
Magistrates shall be specially appointed to the Children's Court. In
practice, however, all Magistrates have been given jurisdiction to sit
in the Children's Court. As a resu