A FAMILY'S HISTORY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8541, 23 March 1908, Page 5

A FAMILY'S HISTORY.

SHOCKING CASE IN DUNEDIN.

The facts brought out at Duncdin at an inquest last week on the body of an infant named Garrick, which had died through insanitary surroundings, neglect, and virtual starvation, reveal an extraordinary lack of proper provision for dealing" with degenerates, and the conditions that make for degeneracy in our midst. Briefly stated, the history of the Garrick family appears to be essentially as follows:—The parents are chronic drunkards, who have been living for years in unspeakable squalor, in spite of a pension of some 36s a week and liberal assistance from official and private charity. Out of a family of fifteen, seven have died in infancy, two arc in an industrial school, and two have become specially notorious at the present moment because their' babies born out of wedlock have died during. the week, under the -revolting circumstances brought out at the inquest. The older daughter has still two children living, also born out of wedlock—viz., a boy, who is in an industrial school, and a little girl, who was referred to- in the following terms by' Dr. Truby King:—"This child, now three years of age, is a victim of rickets. She is stunted and bandy-legged, has very marked curvature of the spine, and a pot-belly. Over her body arc the blotches of past'sores, and her skin is in a state of pimply eruption, spotted with flea-bites and irritated with scratching. She is the survivor—a little cripple, waddling like a deformed duck, stunted and maimed for life.."

The police declare themselves powerless to do anything under, the Industrial Schools Act, aa the, result of which

the Star says: —"The condition of affairs calls for immediate action on the part of the Government, who must move in the matter without delay. The Industrial Schools Act must be amended to provide for these cases." The District Agent, in her report to the Education as far back as January 30th, says: —"My impression on entering the house was that I would have been sorry for my pigs to be brought such filth. The living room was filthy, and the smell beyond description. In a perambulator lay the baby, anything but clean, with rags for clothing. It certainly had enough to eat, was partaking of a bottle of warm milk, and looked fairly well nourished. The two younger daughters of Mrs Garrick were in a filthy condition. The bedrooms were awful, one room having a bed with a filthy mattrass, springs sticking out of the tick, and no bedclothes. Another had a mattrass with a dirty blanket on the bed. There was a heap of feathers in one corner of tho room —all that it contained.