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purpose an appointment register is kept and the date of the next
visit noted. Should the patient fail to attend the clinic, a home
visit is paid to ensure that the patient will receive care either at
the clinic or elsewhere.
Foster Children.
The same arrangements continued for the supervision of
foster children, the only change made during the year being that in
assessing the sleeping accommodation, that whereas previously
those over 10 years of age were counted as adults, the age is no#
lowered to 5 years.

The taking of foster children from outside the area is not
encouraged. Some of the foster mothers take in children because
they like the presence of a young child in the home. Most, however,
do it definitely for the sake of the money to be made. The
average sum received per child is 10s. to 12s. 6d. a week. When
the family is in straitened circumstances, there is too much inducement
for the infant to be deprived of its necessities.
A number of children were removed oil request without the
necessity of obtaining an order from the Justices or from the
Authority. In one case the children were removed when the foster
mother learned that an application to the Local Authority for an
order was being made. In another case, application for an order
was made to the Justices and was received.
The law as it stands, is most unsatisfactory. The childeren
Acts were passed with the object of controlling the iniquitous
conditions which had previously existed and to prevent any form