THE INSTITUTION CHILD.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 132, 5 June 1923, Page 4

THE INSTITUTION CHILD.

Tn dealing with the rase of a boy runaway who spoke vigorously against the dietary of the institution from which lie escaped, a Wellington justice declared, possibly somewhat to tne surprise of those present, that perhaps the mutter should be inquired into. This spirit is worthy of commendation, not because there is reason to credit anything against the establishment in question, but because such investigations are absolutely necessary, and should be as welcome to (lie right kind of oflicial as they arc approved of by the general public. In this country, for reasons that are no discredit to us, there, are a rather large number of boys and girls In such establishments. The uncertainties of colonial life rather than individual parental failings, are often to blame, and we know that many of the young inmates in later years make good. All the more necessary is it therefore that our institutions should keep above suspicion, and the only way to ensure this with certainty is for the more thoughtful of the public to take the matter into their own hands and appoint men and women of character and independent standing to act as investigators on their behalf. Xot only does this prevent callousness in its incipient stages, but it has the psychological effect of making the domestic officials realise the dignity of their work, take more in- | terest in it, and act more kindly because of the world's interest and their own. Those who wish to safeguard the lives of the young must again remember, cynical as the statement may seem, that inmates are in danger just in proportion as they are unable to bring their case 'before the public. iWhen resident at the institution their word is not easily taken, and when adult they are as a rule anxious to forget that they were institution-bred, and not eairer that others should learn the circumstance. Accordingly a good deal' of underfeeding may exist even while the menu, pinned up on the wall for visitors to admire, presents a fair ap.pearanee. Thus bread, jam, and tea does not sound such a very poor meal for the third and last of the day, but when the tea is slightly coloured water and the jam painted on as with a brush, the result is literally the Prisoner of Chillon fare of bread and water. Ours ■being a young, food-producing country, does not automatically prevent tlie abuses that we are accustomed to associate with older lands. Perhaps of all who are liable to callousness the most likely are the children who are segregated in various I establishments as mentally defective. New Zealand has a fair number of such boys and girls in various special institutions. Some are able to read and write and approach indeed to that handicraft type of mind which psychologists declare to be not less but more lawabiding and moral than ordinary persons. If wards of the State, having no ascertainable relatives, they are fated to remain in institution life forever, always ranking as children. Lately there has been instituted a society for the investigation of menial ajv?l>J&&- Tt is

composed, we believe, of earnest arid independent persons, who will do good work, and act certainly without fear. Admittedly such an organisation cannot extend its activities to the ordinary type of institution, as it was not created to deal with normal persons. We venture to think, however, that it might consider extending its services to include the homes for the mentally defective, or else forming a sub-com-mittee that could do so. Tn England such homes are not only thus guarded by independent societies representing the public, but certificated Montessori teachers are installed. ]"■<<.-«r Aeaianci is comparatively backward in some of these matters.