LEFT WITH MAORIS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 692, 17 December 1909, Page 8

LEFT WITH MAORIS.

CHILD-DESERTION AT WANGANUI. , STATEMENT BY DK. ITNDLAY. I Whilst the Legislate© Council was consid- I crmg Industrial Schools' Amendment Bill last, night reference was made to tho practico (reported in The Dohikion) of some Europeans of palming off children on Natives in the Wanganui district. il T fe H l l l- H- K - JonMnson (Wellington) said hotaought that something should.be done to stop tho. practice which, it was stated had nowgrown to-somo extent. In a Bill similar.to the one under discussion, a provision to meet such cases might.'be inserted. Some action which would have the effect of putting an end. to the practice, to which attention had been'drawn ought to be taken at .once. Dr. inndlay 'said' that'he was very much shocked on reading the report to which reference 'had been' made. The matter so far stimulated his action that he was calling for v °\ < ?J e ? a s on the ■"h" 10 position. Ho .thought that the. law as it stood to-day would W .sufficient to meet .the case. If;, as suggested there were parents who were desirous.; of deserting their children, the sooner they.were brought to justice the better. Tho Bill under discussion would help existing leg. .i?<anon in tho matter. Under it children under the age'.of..M years who were not under proper control could bo taken charge of by a policeman with the .object of having them committed to an industrial'school. In regard to the present case,' all that would be'necessary would'be to send a policeman up the Wanganui River to remove the children in question.. Ifthe facts were as reported, the clu dren-could certainly not bo, described as under proper control as Europeans understood tho term. Mr. Carncross: You want to go further than to T - eon i. a Policeman for the children. Dr. Findlay. Our first duty is to save the children. Having achieved that object we cculd then deal with the,children.