Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8482, 5 February 1891, Page 4

Dr. Giles, E.M., had before him yesterday the melancholy case of four children brought in from a brothel. Evidence was given to show that the mother was a prostitute, and was lying drunk at the time the children were taken possession of by the police. Dr. Giles read the law a severe lecture, saying that it did not punish people for offences that deserved punishment. But this is really one of the hopeless cases. Supposing it were possible to bring up this woman, and to charge her with improper treatment of her children, and to send her to prison for a month, how much would be gained? Punishment in this case would not correct the offence, the children would still have to be taken possession of by the police, to be maintained and educated at the public expense. And in all probability the _ example of the punishment inflicted would have no effect whatever as a warning to other bad women. When women sink so low as this one has done, they care very little about their reputations for taking care of their children. We see no cure for such things in any law that could be enacted, or in any police supervision. It cannot be said that such cases arise here from wretched poverty and hard conditions of life. A woman who can do ordinary house work can manage to get along oven with several children. Society must make up its mind simply to take over all these children, with the probability that, notwithstanding all .that can be done in the way of education and training, they will turn out to be criminals or lunatics, and in some way pests to society. These are the burdens which honest and industrious people have now to bear. But possibly, when there is a greater pressure than now of population upon the means of subsistence*, society will defend itself by means which are not likely even to be discussed for many years to come.