WARRANT IGNORED.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1703, 20 March 1913, Page 6

WARRANT IGNORED.

BOARD V. DEPARTMENT. TOOTH AND NAIL , STRUGGLE. GRAVE ALLEGATIONS. : <Hy Telegraph.—Preba Association.) < Now Plymouth, March 19. Y ' Allegations 'of . a gravo condition of V 1 affairs in connection .with tlio a'dniinistration.of tho Infant Life Protection .Act which call for tlio fullest''inquiry-were made at yesterday's meeting of tlio Tarariaki Hospital and Charitablo Aid Board. i The "clause celebre", was a respectable and bright younl* girl wider the.care.of tlio board who is in tho fullest possession of her faculties, arid who,'it is alleged/ was literally hounded to enrtli by cer'Z:-. -tain ' Government 1 oflicnals •desirous of v N committing her to a homo fqr mentally defective girls.' An officer of tho .Educa--v- tipn', Department-'contended, that tho girl was mentally unfit .and sought-to remove r :.v. Her from the control of the board,. Tho . >.. board being convinced in its'own mind, , ; ' . and having expert assurance that the girl : C was quite rational and of unblemished . ■ character, fought the Departriiental ■ukase' tooth' and nail, even going .to tho length - of. ignoring a warrant for tlie,girl's arrest and hiding her from the police. As an upsliot of a-long, and at. times, : . acrimonious discussion, the following' motioff was unanimously carried, moved by. Mr. Maxwell: "TJiat the--board requests •V" ''Wt a searching, inquiry' iic. liefd into the .-.. condition .of affairs , that. permits' the perpetration of such a gross injustice as .■W shown to have'taken place in'tlio casc l . . Vof tile girl,:.andV further that tho removal °f thfe/officers iiumediately responsible: is ■ demanded." .. . ■ Mr. A. If. Halcombe then moved that the Minister for Justice, be requested to . ]stay "the' warrant "for 'tho arrest of the' ■ child- admitting her to a niental defectivo home pending the. inquiry, asked for by the board. This was seconded by Mr. J. ■Brown and was also carried unanimously.