and. On reference to Auckland officials
the Committee was informed that the method of compilation had not been
changed. Whether or not this type of crime increased substantially
throughout the Dominion in one year must, for the present, remain
undetermined.

_(b) Statistics of Juvenile Delinquency_

The figures compiled for the Committee by the Superintendent of the
Child Welfare Division show that:

(i) There was a substantial increase in juvenile delinquency
during the Second World War.

(ii) After the war was over, the rate settled down to something
like the pre-war rate.

The following is a fair selection of these figures (alternate years
being taken):

_Number of Offences and Rate per 10,000 of
Complaints of Children Juvenile Population
Year Out of Control, etc. 7-17 years 10-17 years_
1934 1,653 53 73
1936 1,786 57 79
1938 2,447 77 105
1940 2,464 79 107
1942 2,421 79 107
1944 2,493 84 113
1946 1,786 60 83
1948 1,589 51 74
1950 1,464 46 66
1952 1,883 56 78
1954 2,105 56 81

In making comparisons it should be noted (as explained later) that
during recent years the Department has undertaken much preventive work
which may account for a return to the pre-war rate in spite of the
existence of other factors leading to an increase in delinquency.

_(c) Juvenile Delinquency in Maoris and Non-Maoris_

Another illustration of the care required in the use of statistics is
afforded by a comparison as between Maori and non-Maori offenders in the
10-17-year-old group. (For the purpose of these figures "Maori" means of
the half-blood or more).

For the year ended 31 March 1954 there were 565 Maori delinquents, or 28
per cent of the total number of juvenile delinquents. During this same
period there were 1,433 non-Maori offenders, or 72 per cent of those
delinquents. But the Maori offenders came from 10 per cent of the
juvenile population, whereas the non-Maoris came fr