Another department of our work for the protection of infant life, and this we took over from the Destitute Board, where some unique provisions had been initiated by Mr. James Smith.  The Destitute Asylum was the last refuge of the old and incapacitated poor, but it never opened its doors to the able bodied.  In the Union Workhouse in England room is always found for friendless and penniless to come there for confinement, who leave as soon as they are physically strong enough to take their burden—­their little baby—­in their arms and face the world again.  In Adelaide these women were in 1868 divided into two classes, one for girls who had made their first slip—­girls weak, but very rarely wicked—­so as to separate them, from women who came for a second or third time, who were cared for with their infants in the general asylum.  Mr. James Smith obtained in 1881 legislation to empower the Destitute Board to make every woman sign an agreement to remain with her infant, giving it the natural nourishment, for six months.  This has saved many infant lives, and has encouraged maternal affection.  The Destitute Board kept in its hands the issuing of licences, and appointed a lady to visit the babies till they were two years old, and did good work; but when that department was properly turned over to the State Children’s Council there was even more vigilance exercised, and the death rate among these babies, often handicapped before birth, and always artificially fed after, was reduced to something less than the average of all babies.  We have been fortunate in our chief inspectress of babies.  Her character has uplifted the licensed foster mothers, and the two combined have raised the real mothers.  It is surprising how few such babies are thrown on the State.  The department does not pay any board or find any clothing for these infants.  It, however, pays for supervision and pays for a lady doctor, so that there need he no excuse for not calling in medical assistance if it is felt to be needed.  Occasionally a visitor from other States or from England is allowed as a great favour to see, not picked cases, but the ordinary run, of the homes of foster mothers, and the question, “Where and how do you get such women?” is asked.  We have weeded out the inferiors, and our instructions with regard to feeding and care are so definite, and found to be so sound, that the women take a pride in the health and the beauty of the little ones; and besides they keep up the love of the real mother by the care they give them.  A recent Act has raised the age of supervision of illegitimate babies from two to seven years, and this has necessitated the appointment of an additional inspectress.  In South Australia baby farming has been extinguished. and in the other States legislation on similar lines has been won, and they are in process of gradually weeding out bad and doubtful foster mothers.  And the foster fathers are often as fond of the babies as their wives—­and as softhearted.  “Did you see that the poor