SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENTS

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4, 5 January 1903, Page 2

SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENTS

SHOCKING STATE OF* AFFAIRS IN SYDNEY.

A bolt from the blue descended in a Sydney church (says the Australian "Star" of December- 29). The services at St James' Church, Kingstreet, were attended by large congregations, both morning and evening. The day was "The Feast of the Holy Innocents," and also the day which the Government had desired should be kept as a day of thanksgiving for rain. The Rev W. I. CarrSmith, rector of the church, preaching at the forenoon service, said that the best national act of thanksgiving would be a resolution to take a greater interest in the moral welfare of the State, and the fact that it was the Holy Innocents'- Day very naturally suggested the particular direction in which efforts should be made. The feast commemorated the slaughter of the children at Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Christ. The number who suffered at the hands of Herod would prooably be very few. But there was a modern cdauo-hter of the innocents in the State of New South Wales which was perfectly ghastly in its magnitude. He had had brought under his notice some truly awful figures in connection with this- matter. Quoting from fio-ures which had been supplied to him by Dr MacKellar, M.L.C., the reverend gentleman made his congregation shiver. "During the past seven years 4931 illegitimate infants have died: and if the death rate of legitimate children had prevailed instead of that of illegitimate children there would have been only 1763 deaths, or 3108 fewer." In one iustltution m the city during the last four years 913 children have been born. During their first year 122 of these died. In the same period 508 children have j been admitted into the same institution from outside, and during their first year 144 died, showing that the mortality is nearly double amongst those deprived of their mother's care. In another institution during the same period 529 children have been admitted, out -of which 379 have died." The preacher went on to say that this represented a truly awful state of things, which ought to cause every tho-ughtftil man and. woman intense sorrow, and stir them up to earnest endeavour to remedy the -evil as far as might be possible. These 3168 children wore in effect "done to death," they had died from causes that were preventible with ordinary care. As far as he could ascertain there was absolutely no reason why it should be so, as given fair conditions, illegitimate children were naturally just as healthy as legitimate children. It was the bounden duty of the church to interest herself in this matter. He begged every earnest-minded woman to make use of her new responsibility of the franchise, so as to bring her influ- ; enee to bear in this direction.