A SOCIAL MENACE.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 July 1925, Page 2

A SOCIAL MENACE.

. — EVIL INFLUENCES AMONG j, CHILDREN. AUCKLAND, duly 9. Outspoken references to evil influences which are threatening the purity of home life in the Dominion was made, by Cumin Pereival .James in an address delivered at the annual meeting of the Auckland Diocesan Mothers’ Union. "Only as the home life of our peop!e is simple and strong and pure,” said Canon .James, " can the race endure. One of the greatest and most insidious enemies of home life is impurity, it is among children that the .• great danger lies to-day. Every mother here to-day has heard something of the terrible report ol that Commission which sat to take evidence on social diseases some time ago, and it is an extraordinary and a terrible thing that the men who framed that report found iL necessary to appeal to the Christian Church to come to the rescue of tho children. .Moral conditions among maiiv of th<- children at the present time are appalling. The absolutely sickening filth that is talked among them, not only among hoys, but among buys and girls, is incredible, and it' some of the parents knew what was going on in some ol the schools they would not sleep in their beds."

Another point hearing on the same! matter, continued Canon James, was the indecency of some of’the picture posters exhibited in the streets. In one of the most conspicuous parts of the city, where school children constantly passed and re-passed, there were rcee 11 L1 v exhibited picture posters that were absolutely disgusting, suggestive and horrible, calculated to

arouse the worst passions in the human iieari. Something should lie done, and done without delay, and strong action -boiild bi- taken by t :o Mothers’ Union to it.-e that the hoy- and girls of Auckland were enabled to grow up pure in mind ami imagination. The R“v George Coats strongly supported Canon James's’ remarks. "Things are rotten, that is the only word to describe it. and there is no use , our irving Lo i-10-e our eyes to facts. lie said. "It is only the mothers trie community who can pull us out of the mire. \Ye all know what is going on. and we must get right down to work with moral and spiritual disinfectants and cleanse the social life of the ('(immunity.”