State Children Relief Act of 1896 (NSW)

No. IX.

statk	Children	Act to aiiieiid uii Act to estabUsh a system
—	of Boardiiic^-oiit Children. Septem-
her, 1896.]

~ O E it enacted by the Queen’s l\Iost Excellent Majesty, by and with I f the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and Legislative

Assembly of New South "Wales in Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows :—

Age for 1. The age at which children are retained under the provisions

apprenticeship.

of the Principal Act shall be extended to fourteen years at the discretion

of the board.

Regulations. 2. I t shall be lawful for the Governor to frame regulations from

time to time—■

(i)  exempting any boarded-out cliild from apprenticeship and extending the time for a period not exceeding three years during Avhich such child may be maintained ;

(il)  prescribing the terms and conditions of indentures of apprenticeship of boarded-out children, with power to transfer such apprentices or to cancel their indentures in case of ill- treatment of the children, or for other suflicient cause ;

(ill) authorising the board to deduct from payments due to apprentices in the event of misconduct;

(iv)  deiining the mode of procedure for the recovery of wages due to apprentices;

(v)  and generally for the purpose of enabling the board to carry out the objects of the Principal Act and of this Act in regard to apprenticed childi’cn.

And all such regulations, upon publication in the Gazette, shall so far as the same are not inconsistent with the provisions of this or the Principal Act, have the full force of law, and shall be laid before Parliament within fourteen days after the making thereof, if Parliament be then in session, and if not, within fourteen days after the com­ mencement of the then next ensuing session of Parliament.

1896. 60 ̂ YTC. ~No. 9.

State Children Helief.

3. Tlic boai’d sliall have power to visit and inspect all children Kxtonsion of

for two years after their othcial period of hoardin2’-out or api)rcnticc-

ship sliall have terminated.

4 .    If any person shall directly or indirectly withdraAv from, or P e n n tv f..r

counsel, or induce any apprentice to abscond from the person to ^vhom

such apprentice is indentured before the expiration of his term of appiemiees!

’

apprenticeship, or lvno^vin" any apprentiije to have so withdrawn or to have so absconded shall harbour or conceal such apprentice or prevent him from returning to the person to whom he was apprenticed or to the place of his oi'i<;inal ddention (as tlui case may he) siudi pen-son shall he liable for any such offence to a penalty not exceediii" twenty pounds, or to he imprisoned with or without hard labour for any term not exceeding two montlis.

5. I t shall he lawful for any justice of the peace 1o issue a Pow rr ,.f ,irrest of

warrant for the arrest of any apprentice or hoarded-ont or adoijtcd

cliild who may have alisconded or been illep;ally removed by jiarents or	’	‘
other persons from tlie control of tlie le^-al "uardian under the provisions of this or tlie Principal Act.

G. All moneys and other property to which children boarded-Money and otiior

out, adopted, or apiirenticed shall be (mtitled shall be placed to a

sepai-ate fund, and shall be under the control of the board for the eontroiied by i.oimi.

benefit and maintenance of such children.

7. At the discretion of the board parents on the restoration of their children may be compelled to ]xay the value of their outfits. for..ntm.h.,

tMr

8.   I t shall be lawful for the board to deduct from the payments Power io com]i(i

due to the guardians such amounts as may be deemed equivalent to the

loss occasioned by their neglect to kec]) outtits up to regulation standard, guardiims.

1). Whenever a child is surrendered by his parents for adoption P a r e n o to have no

such parents shall havi' no further control over such child, ('xceiit l̂ y ŷtroi of

the consent of tlie hoard. adoption.

10. I t shall be hnvful for the board if it shall think fit (o hoard- Deserving widows

out to (h'serving u’idows and deserted wives tludr own children under

the provisions of the Principal Act, lint in the latter class of cases children boiirded-out

only by an unanimous A'ote of a meeting of the board and with the

approval of the Colonial Secretary.

1 1 . I t shall he lawful for tlio hoard to place invalid or sick c ii ih iren placed in

children under its control in cottage hoint's in ajijiroved localities, and

to make the necessary regulations for their management.

12. The hoard shall in tlie name of its boarding-out otFicer Prosecution of

have power to institute legal proceedings against all parents for moneys

parents,

expended in the maintenance of tln-ir children wlien satisfied that they

arc in a ]iosition to jiay for such maintenanei-.

13. The board may in the name of the hoarding-out otficcr xhoiikeintheenseof

institute legal proceedings against tlie parents of illegitimate children for the recovery of maintenance money ; the father and the mother to he liable jointly or sc-vt-rally.

14. EA'cry person oll'ending against any of the provisions of this offences how

Act maybe prosecnti-d, and every jienalty or jiunishment incurred thereunder may hi- imposed before and by any stqicndiary or ])olice magistrate or any two jnsliees in a summary Avay upon tlie eomjilaint of any constable or other jierson antliorised by tlie hoard.

IT ) . This Act may he cited as tlie “ State Children Itelii-fAct of Short ui ie and

189G,” and sliall hi- construed as one Avith the State Children	“ *‘̂''P>'etaUon.
Act of 1881. The Avords “ I’rineijial A ct” shall he held to mi'an the Act forty-fourth Victoria number twenty-four, and the (‘xjiression “ a])])rentice ” shall he held to mean any hoarded-ont child under articles of indenture under the provisions of this or the Principal Act.

No. X.