MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 3,000 Copies Daily. THURSDAY, JULY 28th, 1904. THE NEGLECTED CHILD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7900, 28 July 1904, Page 4

MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 3,000 Copies Daily. THURSDAY, JULY 28th, 1904. THE NEGLECTED CHILD.

The Daily Express recently published an appeal for the cottage home as a substitute for the industrial school, and set out reasons for the change which might be urged in support of the same reform in New Zealand. " Insbitutionalism,'' it stated", ■' is fatal to the child, and warps all the finer feelings of heart and mind. The curriculum of the industrial school is institutionalism in its most aggravated form, and should be kept for the proven incorrigible. Even for these it is doubtful whether its severe routine is the best possible means of correcting evil impulses. Deep down id these baby hearts, beneath all the grim crust of neglect and evil, is the. vulnerable spot that, once reached, will lift the child from a criminal life to one of respectability. But this spot will not be reached by the system of the industrial school." For the crude system of the reformatory, continued the. Daily Express, should be substituted- that of municipal mothers, which had worked with unqualified success in " some of the American States. Women of culture, refinement and motherly instincts could be found who would willingly offer their services to their country in the cause of the neglected children. The municipal mother with, say, six children under her charge would be able to give each that tenderness and sympathy that are needed to thaw the frozen little heart of the embryo criminal. She could supply proper environment, study Individual dispositions and weaknesses, and awake tbe personal interest which will beget personal ambition .and waken the' dominant faculty ot Bane intellect in the child. :In short, she could go very far towards filling the place of the loving mother who should be every child's birthright. In the course of the same article the Daily Express advocates separate courts for the hearing of charge's against children. In New York a Children's Court has been established for over a year, and arrangements havo been made with the Society for tbe Prevention of Cruelty, to Children to take charge of the young delinquents whilo they are awaiting trial. In this Court a merciful judge; acoustomed to/dealiog with children, hears.the charges, and I the child is saved from.contaminating I

contact with the hardened offenders who appear in the ordinary; Courts. Both the,, cottage borne and tha Children's Court have long been advocated by the Christchurch ' Children V Aid Society. .. 77';

In Monday's issue we published the experience of a settler in this district who was anxious to secure a loan from the Advances to Bettlers Office, bub-was unable to obtain the amount he desired notwithstanding that he was entitled to it under the provisions of the Act. Since then the Eketahuna Express has published the following on the earns subject:—" A settler in the Eketahuna district wished to borrow .6200 with whioh to stocK and improve his propertyHe made application to the Advances to Settleis- Office, and stated that he had already effected improvements to the value of between £300 and .£4OO. The Government Valuer was sent along to value the improvements, and he said there would be no difficulty in securing an advance of £200. Imagine the disgust of tbe tenant when he received advice from the Department that the full amount chat could be advanced was £17. This paltry amount was, of course, useless to the settler, and he has consequently been unable to work his section to anything like advantage. ' This is only one of scores of similar eases that are happening all oyer the Colony."