The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and Echo. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1892.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 16, 20 January 1892, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and Echo.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1892.

_or t_a causa that lae3_ assistance, _or tlio'trroas tint needs rjc_fc_.ee, For the future ia the distacoQ, And tho sscd t_ct -wa can Zo.

The manageis of the Jubilee Kindergarten have evidently made a mistake in opening that institution while the children from the public schools are at home for holidays. Children, small and great, seem to think they have a prescriptive right to roam unchecked 'till the opening of the national schools announces that the holiday season is past. We find, therefore, that object lessons, even with the addition of a piping hot dinner, have only been attractive enough to draw seventeen out of ninety children on the rolls to put in an appearance at the . Kindergarten this week.

Several reasons are assigned by the management for the paucity of attendance. We believe the real one is that we have already Indicated, joined to tbe fact that the charm of novelty has worn off the Kindergarten pastures. We should be glad to think with the management that there is SUCh an improvement in the condition of the poor that they are able to provide hot dinners for their children at home without resorting to the Kindergarten kitchen. But we are of opinion that the dinner was from the first more of a bribe than a necessity. There are very few cases indeed where parents in Auckland cannot provide a sufficiency of food for their children, and kind-hearted people who have gone to the trouble and expense of providing free teas for children of the supposed poorest classes have found the youngsters quite as much inclined to amuse"themselves with pelting each other with food as to satisfy the cravings of hunger. The truth is, we have no body of children who habitually endure the pangs of semi-starvation. There are exceptional cases, no doubt, where parents are drunken and dissolute, but we believe it is a very rare case when a child actually suffers from want of food.

The creche forms or should form an important branch of the institution, but women who go out to work do not seem to care to avail themselves of it. On the Continent, where sometimes a whole family occupies only a single room, the creche is an invaluable agency. The mother who has to toil for her daily bread could not leave her infant in her wretched apartment. But the case is quite different here. The creche has never found much favour with women of the working classes.. In the first place, comparatively few women with infants have to go out charing or washing. If they do they would sooner leave baby in care of other members of the family or turn it over to the mercies of some kind-hearted neighbour, than take a long walk to the creche, perhaps from some distant suburb, before beginning a day's work.

It is a thankless task to criticise adversely institutions that have for their object the benefit of our fellowcreatures. Especially is this the case with regard to an agency for doing good to the children of the poorer classes. The Kindergarten has done some excellent work, and. we give every credit to the ladies and gentlemen who have tried hard to make it a success. But in the light of its past history and present experiences we are compelled to ask whether the fact that it meets with but a very moderate share of success is not an indication that in our city it is an agency in advance of the times, more especially as there appears to be no reason for suspecting the existence of any fault in its mode of working or lack Of energy on the part of its conductors.

It is difficult to make some kind - hearted people understand, that agencies suitable for the dense populations of Old World cities are not always adapted for the exigencies of colonial life, but are, when prematurely introduced, mischievous in their effects. They create the very evil which they were established to correct. It is simply a case of history repeating itself. The conventual system in its early stages was of immense advantage to Europe. The monastery was the cradle of learning, the home of religion, and supplied the place of dispensary, hospital, and lodging-house to tbe poor. But when the conditions of life changed, or the multiplication of the agency became excessive, the blessing was turned into a curse. The conventual system in the sixteenth century had filled the land with " sturdy beggars." At the present moment, reformers in England are crying out that social progress is impeded by the endless array of charitable agencies of all kinds. In Australia the same cry is heard, and in New Zealand we are not without need of warning of similar dangers.

It is to be regretted that agencies, good in themselves, are too often brought into existence by the mistaken action of well-meaning but indiscreet persons. They launch their institutions without taking any concensus of opinion, and then in a little time appeals ad misericordiam are made to the public, who in their collective capacity may not approve of the scheme, and certainly have accepted no responsibility. Hence such agencies remain to tax the pockets of the citizens, or after dragging on for some time die a natural death. We have a recent instance in the Gospel Temperance Mission, which, after competing needlessly with the temperance work done by the churches, and involving a considerable outlay of money, died because it had no legitimate sphere of* life. Examples might be multiplied, but we have cited enough for our purpose.

We have dwelt upon this subject, not from any wish to depreciate the Kindergarten, but on general grounds. The multiplication of agencies not called for by existing conditions has a very serious aspect for the public who pay the piper. We cannot too emphatically caution enthusiastic persons against well-meant schemes launched thoughtlessly and left for the public to support. .We approve heartily of the Kindergarten system as a system, but we doubt whether in our city it is not ahead of the genuine requirements of the times.