ADOPTION BY THE STATE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11537, 25 March 1898, Page 3

ADOPTION BY THE STATE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Not very long ago some of the women of Christchurch urged upon the Government and the country the desirability of the State taking in hand the education and training of the waif and stray children, orphans, and those in a worse case even than these; also the children who, through living in evil surroundings, are likely to become criminal or vicious. Now even those who wished us well thought us visionaries, and persistently asked, “ Where is the money to come from?” In fact, our ideas were thought to be . very extravagent and unworkable. .Are' they so ? That is the question wo must keep on asking. I wish, in writing this letter to draw attention to an article in the Fortnightly by Mrs A. Samuels, wherein she urges the very same thing that we did in New Zealand, upon the British public aud the Government. She does not.stand on tho ground of sen-, timentalism, so called; she takes her position on that of economy, and she points to the enormous expense of the prisons, the reformatories of all kinds, the institutions, all good in their way; but all, so to speak, useless, because preventive measures are not adopted by the State. As a matter of fact, the ordinary politicians are too much engrossed in wrangling and office seeking, to be able to give, attention to the most serious and the most vital interest of any country namely, the children. On the ground of economy alone Mrs Samuels urges, “ Save the children, gather them up, teach them, train them; do not be disheartened if every child under the system is not a success; centuries of neglect will need centuries of reparation.” She points out most ably that there must be some kind of compulsion used by the State, so that detention may be legal until some fixed age. , I have, myself, often heard Mrs Cunnington urge detention for very young girls, almost children, who, knowing not what they do, fling their bright beautiful youth away. Again, Mrs Cunnington' tells of the morally irresponsible. Their case is sad indeed, when there is no training for a good and useful life, no restraining power brought to bear. It seems to me that there should be specially trained teachers for this work; young people who would offer themselves in the missionary spirit, and we know there are such in New Zealand, for wo hear of young people studying for work in China. If there was an opening for work here they would perchance be willing to give themselves to it. Surely men of science, educational people, and the true-hearted amongst our statesmen, must see that what we urge is in the highest degree reasonable. New Zealand is not poor, she could at present take' up this work of caring for the children without a shivering of her timbers. There is gold in the earth here, millions worth, great plains, mighty rivers wherewith to irrigate them; there is a Premier who is a Treasurer, and he tells us that the pockets of the country bulge out with surplus funds. Then why not, as a country, take up this most interesting work—the education, the training, the tender care of the young. He whose name time cannot tarnish, who died, yet lives, said, “ Feed my lambs.”—l am, &c., LOUISA BLAKE.