Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 1884. A MUTUAL BENEFIT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 81, 4 March 1884, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 1884. A MUTUAL BENEFIT.

In a recent isiSiie of a "Wellington paper appeal's a contributed article which is worthy of-* consideration at the hands of philanthropists as wellag the tegis lature. The author's ideas are -/evidently inspired by the perusal of the remarkable pamphlet by Mr G; It. Sims, entitled " The Bitter Cry of Outcast London." The contributor contends that the cleansing of the Augean stables of tl,e slums of London requiivs more than any modern Hercules can hope to accomplish. He proceeds to show that the conclusion am Ved at by those . who have best studied the subject is that it is hopeless to attempt to rescue those who have already grown up m vice and are inured to crime. Reformation must begin with the young. Remove children while young from scenes of vice and from the haunts of sin, want, misery, and starvation, give them the chance of breathing a purer' atmosphere, of receiving respectable training, and the chances are they will grow up a respectable and a useful class. The idea is to meet the great want of servants m the Colonies by the importation of little girls from London, to be trained m institutions or. private families as domestic servants? Families could agree to nominate certain Jittle girls between the ages of seven and ten. A parent home or institution could 6 be founded m which some might be trained,- or to which: others found unsuitable, might be sent by their nominators. We believe that if inquiry were made, thousands of women throughout the colony would be glad to nominate s«ich a little girl. The older she grew, the more useful she would become. She wfluld be lvceiv- : ing the'domeistic training requisite for her to become a good servant — one of a class so much required. The mother, who, perhaps mi^ lit not be able to pajfthe wages of a servant,' could afford to clothe, keep, and train a little girLto help her with' her family. The future of the girl, whatever it might •be, m ihis country would be infinitely better and more hopeful than !if she H-ere left in,hei; present condition. The difficulties wcjcld bo;— lst. The education system conipuisory attendance clause; 2nd. The difficulty of disposing of a child should she prove unsatisfactory or refractory ; 3rd. The doubtful nature ot the experiment of introducing an outcast child, with her premature knowledge and vicious Wirth and antecedents, among the children of a; yeepectable family. The first difficulty may be overcome by a second clause m the Education Act providing that children may be oxempt from attending' school on its being proved that m some they receive instruction m the three R's. This could easily be .arranged lit hours, when- the child's '* assistance ! would bo least required m the home ; on she could attend. a'fteVnoou school only on certain days of the week. -Secondly, There should be a parent institution established, or orphan home, to which the child could be \ sent if. refractory. Thirdly. It is believed that if cliildreu are taken young, the voyage out, the entire change of scene and association, new instructors, new interests would, soon obliterate m the minds of the parentless 1 little ones the memory of their past. That past would contain nothing curious or astonishing to "them which would lead them to retain it or recount it to other children. The present ever absorbs the interest of the young, and the past is soon forgotten, A difficulty might occur through the system of nomination.., The rule is that the emigrant nominated must be mentioned by name. This could be overcome _by some trustworthy matron being appointed^ to - sel(4t children iv London and supply their names to intending nominators. The success oE ..the plun would depend largely on the children being ; -'%rairie<L cacofully for domestic service. That is the demand put here, which these, at present unfortunate children may/Jie destined to supply. We really think the above suggestions should receive careful consideration, as there is reason ,to believe . that they would be found practicable ts' well 'as most beneficial to all classes concerned. Some further remarks on the same subject we reserve till an early future opportunity.