MORAL TRAINING.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIV, Issue 235, 11 September 1924, Page 7

MORAL TRAINING.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Your correspondent “Parent,” in Saturday’s issue, brings before the public once again the question of the care of the morals of the present-day children. Again we have the opportunity of moving in the matter whilst the time is ripe, or of sitting back in our chairs and letting things slide. Whilst all the conferences and commissions are wasting public money and bringing in reports and findings, hundreds of fine children are being spoiled every day through ignorance, and a terrible percentage oi these will be the subjects of commissions and inquiries, and the cause of more insanity, disease and crime in less than ten years’ time. Why not make an organised effort right now to stem the tide nt its sources and give these children their chance in life. Absolutely 95 per cent, of the whole evil springs from want of proper instruction in the home. Are parents actually afraid of contaminating their children’s minds by such instruction 1 If they are afraid, then they need to be enlightened on present conditions of child psychology. What is the church doing in the matter ? A great number of the clergy run away with the idea that a sound religious training will be sufficient to show the child the wav and that the loye for Our Saviour, or conversion etc. will keep the child safe through the difficult stages. This is a deluded idea. When you arm. and train and equip your soldier you don’t just turn him loose, but you show him his enemy, and point put where he is hiding. Then he uses his arms and training etc. to effect. There are thousands of children of even tender years, who have had good homes, good religious training, and their ideas of purity and modesty are so vague, except perhaps upon one or two grievous points, that they are up to all sorts of practices and habits, which they would shun had they been warned.

The lowering of the natural moral tone of the present-day children is traceable to the pictures, the newspapers. the company of those a little older than themselves, the habits and example of those who really have no morals, and the observation of the ways of the animals and pet s they play with. These causes are supplemented by the extraordinary physical development of present-day children, owing to the rush of town life, the flood, the training, drill, sports, exercise, swimming etc. together with the expansion of the minds of tthe children due to our extxraordinary cramming system of education. Lastly, there is the poisonous effects of tobacco upon small boys, and the deplorable prevalence of strong drink among minors. “Parent” laments this latter phase, but it is just as serious if not more so, than has already been pointed out. . If parents were prosecuted and imprisoned, for allowing their bits of girls to be dragged home half-stunned at two o’clock in the morning, it would cost the State less than it does to maintain the increasing numbers of unwelcome grandchildren. Those who do not realise the under tone of the majority of these dances, just want to ponder over the insinuating words of some of the brightest and most popular dance songs, which are all the “go” now even amongst respectable people. For instance, “What Happens After the Ball.” Special home training is necessary therefore, to counteract these influences, and parents must awaken to the fact and get down to it an once.

Why not make Hastings famous for taking the lead by doing something definite in the matter. Could we not call a meeting of parents and of those interested, say in two sections, one evening for ladies and another for men; discuss the problem freely, appoint a committee from both sides to confer upon the findings of the other. Information upon all the subjects mentioned here could be gathered, and a line of instruction to parents in general, and to the child in the home could be decided upon. Now it is up to some of you ladies in public welfare to make a move; prevention is better than cure. Trusting that the matter may now be grasped firmly and that some parents will take the matter up.— I am etc. “GIVE THE LADS THEIR CHANCE” Hastings, Sept. 9uh., 1924.