EPIDEMIC ORPHANS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17982, 26 December 1918, Page 8

EPIDEMIC ORPHANS.

A WELLINGTON DEPUTATION

ME HANAN INTERVIEWED.

[From Orm ConREsroNBENT.] WELLINGTON, December 24. A large representative Trades Union deputation waited upon the Hon J. A. Hauan, Minister of Education, v"estexday to • discuss the position of members of the working class left in « destitute condition through the recent epidemic. Mr P. Fraser, M.P., introduced the deputation, which was also accompanied by Mr H. ft Holland, M.P., and Mr it. Semple, M.P. The deputation, said Mr Fraser, asked for a definite assurance as to what had been douo about the matter. During the receub short session of Parliament questions repeatedly were put to Ministers on the point and assurances were given that no charity would enter into the matter, and that most generous treatment would .bo given to widows and orphans and other sufferers by the epidemic. Mr M. J. Reardon, president of the Wellington Trades Council, said that in the country's hour of desperate trial people had risen to the most sublime heights, and ho was sure that the members of the deputation would ho voicing not only their own feelings, but the feelings of the whole community, when they said, they wanted on this occasion widows and children to bo treated as

well as it was possible for the community to treat them. They wanted tile widows to ieel and to know that they were not being given a charitable dolo. What they proposed to ask first of nil was that children should not bo separated from their mothers if it could possibly be avoided. They were convinced that if anyone was likely to look after a child well it was the child's mother. Mr Hanan: You can have my assurance right off on that point. (Hear, hear.) Mr Ronrdon said they wanted to ask also that where a motlrer was given charge of children, she should be given the samo allowance of 10s to 10s Cd a week that would have to bo given if they were placed out with foster mothers or in institutions. Mr Ha nan: She will got that. (Hear, hear.) Mr Reardon: That is very satisfactory. (Hear, hear.) They wero also going to ask, ho added, that if possible the widow herself should bo given an allowance so that it would not be necessary for her to go out to earn sufficient; to keep herself, also the little ones. Mr Hanan: That is a matter that comes within the province of my colleague, the Hon G. W. Russell. My j work is confined to looking after the children. ' j Mr Reardon: May wo say to your colleague that you would favour the susrges'tion that a widow should be provided for as well as the children? Mr Hanan: Yes. I don't want to see her destitute. (Hear, hear.) Mr Reardon: Wo have found that where a mother has to fro out to earn her own living the children are not so well attended to. Would it bo possible to ask the Government that Allowances should bo on as high "scale as those given to widows and children of soldiers. That would bo a request for £1 10s a week in case of a widow who has children to look after.; Mr Hanan: The question of tho mother comes within the control of Mr Russell The question was discussed in Cabinet to-day. Tho matter has been left in his hands. In reply to a. further question the Minister said that tho same applied to the case of a widower who bad been left with a family and could not .afford to engage a woman to look after, them. . Mr Reardon urged also that children left without either father or mother should be boarded out rather than sent to institutions. , Mr Hanan: In that I mn entirely with you. (Hoar', hear.) _ With repaid to visiting and inspection of foster homes, Mr Reardon said that most of them felt that tho official tendency was to become tied by routine regulations and become mechanical rather "than human. They wished, therefore, that honorary visitors should bo appointed for the purpose, and they now wero prepared to offer the services of very suitable women for the work. Mr Hanan replied that he would be very pleased to consider it, but he knew that foster mothers did not view with i : much satisfaction visitors going to their I '. places. Mr [Reardon said that so far tho Min- • ister's replies wero very good indeed, i The only other question was whether f the Minister could publicly state if tho < necessary arrangements could be made I to receive applications from persons re- ' quiring assistance. 1 Mr Hanan said that he would p-jt a < vote on the Estimates with a view to ( appointing women who would be cspeci- < ally qualified to promote this aspect of >' the work of the Education Department, s and at tho Minister's request Mr Beck (head of this branch of the Department in Wellington) briefly stated what

had been and is to be done in regard to the care of children. In reply to a question by Mr Fraser, tho Minister said that no difficulty had been or would be put in the way of tho mother of an illegitimate child looking after it if at all a suitable person to do so.

DEPUTATION TO MR RUSSELL. Later the deputation waited upon the Hon G. W. Russell, when Mr Fraser briefly stated the replies given by Mr Hanan.

Mr Reardon said that the deputation fully appreciated the assistance already given in cases of distress duo to the epidemic, but the Minister would realise that assistance had only been temporary. It was clear that dependents of those who had fallen in the epidemic must bo a charge on tha community in one form or another for some years to come, and they thought that the community would be satisfied to bear that charge- The people would bo satisfied with anything that tho Government did in tho matter, even though it might be regarded as generous, bo long as the Government treated the women and children fairly and well. (Hear, hear.) The difficulty they had to meet wag that the law allowed a certain amount to each child, but, strangely enough, tho mother could not collect it if she was caring for her own children. They had from Mr Hanan, however; a definite promise that where ;r mother wanted to look after her own children, that should not debar her from receiving that allowance. In connection with charitable aid work, they had found that where a mother had to go out to earn her own living, the children wero necessarily to some extent, neglected. They believed that with the provision that had been mado by Parliament for epidemic relief, tho Minister would be able to make allowances on as generous a scale as Parliament had mado fcr the widows of soldiers.

In reply to Mr Russell, Mr Reardon sard that ho referred to the £2OO 000 appropriated by Parliament for 'epidemic relief, whereupon the Minister stated the whole of that money, and perhaps a good deal more, would be required to meet the cost of fighting tho epidemic, and any provision for widows and children wo-.id have to bo made separately. Instructions had been given that no expense was to be spared to stamp out the epidemic as soon as possible, and it was owing to the splendid self-sacrificing work of tho people that a tremendous epidemic had practically been stamped out in. three weeks. Mr Reardon said he must still ask tho Minister to find a way to do what was asked. If done out of unauthorised expenditure, Parliament would sanction it. There were quite a number of cases in which tho {breadwinner bad lost his wife and could not afford to employ a housekeeper to look after his children. Mr Russell said all that was provided for in the schemo presented to and approved by Cabinet. In such cases money would bo given to the father to enable him to employ a housekeeper to care for the children. (Applause.) Mr Reardon: I am very glad to hear that.

Mr Fraser: One other point we ask is that provision bo mado that, as in the case of soldiers, tho accepting of 10s or 10s Gel per child shall not cancel tho widow's right to pension. Mr Russell replied that tho points referred to had been considered on general lines and practically the decision of Cabinet had been, first, where relatives of children orphaned by the epidemic do not adopt the children, preference shall be given to the adoption of children by suitable people, and that these matters would bo dealt with by the Education Department under tho Infants Act. Personally ho was very much against institution life for chiidren. (Hear, hoar.) Already a large number of applications had come in from people, some in good positions, willing to adopt children, and such ■cases had been landed over to the Hou J. A. Hanan, who had departmental j machinery for licensing loster-homes. j He would like to take a little time to consider the question as to widows' pensions, but certainly the feeling of the Government as tn:it widows should nob bo restricted to the widows' pension. The payment was lis 6d per week for a child up to tho ago of sixteen for boys and eighteen for girls—(hear, hear)—and if » woman was drawing widow's pension she would be j paid certainly the amount of difference between that pension and the total she would bo entitled to under this schemo for her children. He had mado tho ages sixteen and eighteen respectively because he thought that boys and girls should not have to go out to earn their living before those RRf • (Applause.) The question as to whether epidemic widows were to receive the same pension as soldiers' widows had not been considered by Cabinet. However, the caseof epidemic widows and orphans meant a big step in advance, and lie believed that the step would not be retraced, but the country would proceed further on the same lines.. ge believed that children should bo left to the mother's charge and that she should be honourahlv provided for. as m the case of a soldier's widow. (Appl» ue<s ->