“Selfish Parents Cause Children's Disturbances”

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30143, 29 May 1963, Page 2

“Selfish Parents Cause Children's Disturbances”

“Forty per cent, at occupied hospital beds are in mental hospitals,” sand Dr. E. M. A. Glennie of the Health Department at the annual meeting yesterday at the Christchurch branch of the Society tor Protection of Home and Family. “We are faced with the challenge of reducing these mental hospital beds.” Dr. Glennie, speaking on the emotional disturbances in children arising from tension in the home, outlined causes of this tension. “Selfishness and immaturity in the parents are among the greatest problems,” she said. Today, forced marriages seemed to be an established and accepted fact with youngsters. Each year there were 300 illegitimate births in the Christchurch area, which showed youthful, promiscuous relationriniipe were more acceptable, said Dr. Glennie. During the year, callers at the society’s office for help and advice who were collecting Social Security benefits, maintenance, and war pensions numbered 2036. Officers paid 2132 visits and 419 new cases were attended to, said the annual report of the society. More than 280 unmarried mothers and deserted wives with children received advice and financial help.

Regular monthly visits were paid to aged persons

and invalids under the society’s notice, and the delivery of pension payments to them was part of the society’s work over the year. The Government should recognise the work it was doing distributing money to pensioners by paying the society what it would cost the Government to do the work, said the president of the society (Mr G. Smith). Officers elected were: president, Mr G. Smith; secretary-treasurer, Mrs L. I. Cattell; advisory officer, Mrs C. Truman; committee, Mesdames M. A. Smith, M. E. Alexander, M. Fitagerald, I. A. Bradford, M. Griffiths, Brigadier P. A. Wilkes and Caiptain M. Love of the Salvation Army, and Mr W. A. Menneer.