NEGLECT OF CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14150, 27 August 1909, Page 6

NEGLECT OF CHILDREN.

PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY.

A VICE-REGAL EXHORTATION.

Is addressing the Mothers' Union at St. Matthew's Church" last evening, Her Excellency Lady Phinket said that as this was the last time she would address mothers, in Auckland at all events, ehe would mention one or two things she would like the Mothers' Union to remember. She would like the mothers of New Zealand to show strongly their feelings against neglect of or cruelty to infants. In Now Zealand there was not a great deal of cruelty in actual amount, but, considering the 6ize and population of the country, there was a good deal of it. Public opinion was the only thing that would stamp out this cruelty or neglect, for it was more neglect than actual beatings or that sort of thing. Rather than have indifference to the sufferings of children ehe would have a state of society in which a man guilty of such cruelty would be in danger of being lynched. In one part of New Zealand Hot Excellency said she had met a good mother, who had a sickly child which demanded all her attention. This woman said people had told her to let the child die, ft was not worth while retiring it. When people could say that, was not public opinion very slack? Another thing to be guarded against was the disposition of people to pass over the faults of children, saying, "It will be knocked out of them at school." It was not fair to encourage a fault which one hoped would be afterwards knocked out of the child.. It reminded her of a woman she had once heard reproved by a doctor for allowing her child to suck silver. The woman turned round and smacked the ohild. It was the same in many other ways. Girls were allowed to get beyond control, and perhaps ran into dangers and difficulties, then their parents turned Upon them and abused them. There was a law in China long ago under which if a young man committed a crime his father was hung for it, because it was considered parents were responsible for their sons and daughters. "We mothers bring up the children, and are to blame if they go wrong and turn out bad men and women," said Her Excellency, in conclusion.