mine standards of sexual morality of children and
adolescents in New Zealand, and the extent to which such
conditions and influences are operative, and to make
recommendations to the Government for positive action by both
public and private agencies, or otherwise._

The Committee held its first meeting on Tuesday, 27 July, to determine
points of procedure and to make arrangements to hear all who desired to
make submissions. There were placed before the Committee files of
letters which had been written to Ministers of the Crown, and hundreds
of newspaper clippings, relating to this topic. Some days were occupied
in the sorting and reading of this material in anticipation of the task
which lay ahead.

The Committee commenced the hearing of evidence at Wellington on
Tuesday, 3 August. It sat in Christchurch for the convenience of people
in the South Island on 31 August and 1 September, and in Auckland from 6
September to 10 September.

Altogether 145 persons (18 on more than one occasion), appearing either
in a representative capacity or as private individuals, were heard. In
addition, 203 written submissions were made by interested organizations
and private persons, and a large volume of relevant correspondence,
addressed direct to the Committee, was considered. A list of the persons
who appeared before the Committee and of the organizations or societies
which made either written or oral representations is attached.

It should here be observed that the Committee, not having the powers of
a Commission of Inquiry, could not summon witnesses before it. All
officers of the Crown, and all public agencies from whom information was
sought, were helpful. Much of the evidence, however, was secondary or
hearsay evidence. The Committee had not the power to trace some of the
stated facts back to their source.

It was thought undesirable to interview any of the children involved in
recent happenings. Reliance had to be placed on information regarding
each individual made available by the police and Child Welfare Officers,
and, in some cases, by the heads of their respective schools. Similarly,
there was much secondary evidence of indecent behaviour and of other
facts said to have been derived from reliable sources. The absence of
direct evidence on some of these matters, however, did not prevent the
Committee from looking at the problem in its broad general aspects, and
from reaching conclusions which could not be affecte