CHILD WELFARE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 305, 26 December 1930, Page 12

CHILD WELFARE.

I was surprised to read the suggestions made by the Minister of Education, when he met the deputation from the Auckland.branch of the National Council of Women re the Child Welfare Act. He .says that "it appears that in Auckland there has been a campaign of propaganda against the working of the . Act." He may alter his opinion when he goes thoroughly into the various cases, which I think he- will do. He also states that "there should be a statement as to the aims and working of the Act," then the public' would understand more about it. Yes, by all means, and let the public know that there are children who have been taken from their parents, sent to_ institutions and farms hundreds of miles away, have been away several years without ever getting the chance of visiting or being visited by their parents. The Government has retrenched in several Departments—Railways, Defence, etc. Let them also retrench in the Child Welfare Department. Its officials are too numerous, have too much power and scope, and there is too much State and not enough sense in the working of the Act. The two ladies in the deputation, Miss Jackson and Miss Carnachan, were a bit too decided in their remarks re the working of the Act. The Minister will, I hope, thoroughly investigate its operations at the earliest opportunity. COCKNEY JACK.