The offences for which 6,299 male and 692 female inmates were committed to the Labour Houses in that year were as follows:-- ------------------------+--------+----------+-------- | Males. | Females. | Total. ------------------------+--------+----------+-------- Vagabondage | 328 | 47 | 375 Begging | 4,166 | 69 | 4,235 Begging and vagrancy | | | together | 702 | 31 | 733 Laziness | 97 | 6 | 103 Professional immorality | 188 | 481 | 669 Work-shyness | 8 | 3 | 11 Homelessness | 810 | 55 | 865 +--------+----------+-------- Totals | 5,299 | 692 | 6,991 ------------------------+--------+----------+-------- The periods of commitment by the judicial authorities were as under:-- ------------------------+--------+----------+-------- | Males. | Females. | Total. ------------------------+--------+----------+-------- Three months or less | 20 | 5 | 25 From three to six | | | months | 1,443 | 242 | 1,685 Over six months and | | | under two years | 3,535 | 359 | 3,594 Two years | 1,599 | 85 | 1,684 +--------+----------+-------- Total | 6,297 | 691 | 6,988 ------------------------+--------+----------+-------- Of the offenders enumerated above, 4,445 or 64 per cent. had been detained in a Labour House before, and 2,293 or 33 per cent. had been so detained more than three times, while 5,865 or 84 per cent. had been in prison. Further, 1,253 or 18 per cent. had been recommitted to a Labour House within twelve months of their last discharge from the same. Most of these Labour Houses are situated in the open country, and follow a mixed economy of agriculture and industry, though the number of men who can be employed usefully in farm work would appear to be small. The following statement of the different modes of employment in force in 1908 comprises young people detained for reformation, in addition to the adults committed by judicial process for disciplinary reasons:-- EMPLOYMENT OF DETAINEES.