Manawatu Evening Standard. Circulation, 3,500 Copies Daily. TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1908. THE GARRICK CASE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8542, 24 March 1908, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. Circulation, 3,500 Copies Daily. TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1908. THE GARRICK CASE.

The details published yesterday of the deplorable Garrick case at Dunedin made painful reading. It is difficult to realise that in New Zealand, with its superior environment and allegedly humane legislation, such degeneracy should exist, though it is reassuring to , Ireflect that the history of this Dunedin family is probably without parallel in the Dominion. The report stated that "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 are in an industrial school, and two of the elder daughters have each had two children, of whom one is in the industrial school, two are dead, and one is so badly afflicted with rickets that its future is hopeless." It would be interesting to ascertain how much in hard cash this family has cost the country. At least the information would show the urgency of considering whether some measures

could not be taken to give unfortunate people of this description a chance in life. In one direction an improvement could be made by removing them entirely from their present surroundings, and striving by sympathetic and intelligent treatment to counteract the terrible hereditary burden that these children have to bear. Yet the law makes scant provision for such action. The police alone have authority to step in, and they only act on the official view of the law, often a very partial and narrow view. The Society for the Protection of Women and Children has no

standing in these matters, and it is sought to give this Society , some status to enable it to deal with such cases as that under notice. " The law needs amending," said the President of the Dunedin branch of the Society, '' in the direction of allowing, as in England, a society like ours and the Promotion of the Health of Women and Children taking action in these cases, instead of the police alone. The law having been set in motion, such people should be brought before a special magistrate, who should inquire into the case with all the freedom from red tape that the coroner's court enjoys." Then provision could easily be made for commitment to State institutions in cases where, in the opinion of the magistrate, the moral and physical surroundings are undesirable. In this way the State might ultimately be saved heavy expense, while the unfortunate children themselves would at least have a better opportunity of becoming decent citizens than they have at present. This is a matter which should receive the early and earnest attention of the Legislature.