CARE OF ORPHANS

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 June 1921, Page 2

CARE OF ORPHANS

DE PARTAIENT’S PROPOSAL. CRITICISED BY BISHOP. (Special to the Star.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 27. In an address yesterday, Bishop Brodie, referring to the Government’s attitude towards orphanages and. the suggestion that the State should provide permanent foster-homes for orphans, said that the State while requiring an ideal home system for its projected care of orphans, is attacking in its marriage legislation the most effective scheme of its production. One steangc feature about the projected orphanage legislation is the tact that all the various religious denominations have found it necessary to establish orphanages. They have been driven to this necessity by tho fact that they were unable to secure ideal fosterhomes. These denominations 1 represent at least nine-tenths of the people of the Dominion, and yet we have an official of a State Department taking upon himself to say his department can remedy a defect which the various denominations have found impossible to overcome. It must also be considered that the clergy of the various denominations are in very close touch with their people, and should be in tho best position to know whether proper foster homes are available or not. It is not a matter of surprise that Dr; Gibb, head of the Presbyterian denomination in Wellington, has expressed himself most forcibly, and denounced this proposed measure as a serious invasion of tho rights of various reli<dous denominations. A close study of the new State proposals begets a fear that this proposal bears a strong resemblance to the de-christianising methods adopted by an atheistic Government in France m dealing with war orphans. It is to be hoped that the proposal has not had such a sinister origin. However, whatever be the origin, our New Zealand proposal must give rise to a grave fear on ie part of the various religious denominations of the Deminion.