CHILDREN AND CHARITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15824, 22 January 1915, Page 5

CHILDREN AND CHARITY.

WOMEN "WITHOUT SHAME."

NO MATERNAL FEEDING.

[EX X) '.EGRArH —PBESS ASSOCIATION:.]

Wellington', Thursday. ''These Vomen seem to have no shame and no ompunct on about parting with their chx iren and leaving them under the board's > ire," s.iid the Rav. J. K. Elliott, i; a meet of the Hospital and Charitauli Aid B<.ard to-day, when assistance fc> children under th<> board's care was tie ng discusised.

The . abject came up when the chairman o the Charitable Aid Committee, Mr. D. Campbell, referred to 'he increasing number of children dealt v ith at the board's institutions. He said " that the number of children committed had increased by 37, as compared with the first nine months of the previous financial year, the present number in homes and schools being 315. As tjSXL. !« fc of the cases dealt with, Mr. Campbell mentioned that of 24 children committed from August to December, twelve „eie illegitimate. In the c tses of fetea children the fathers had diverted the mother, and the circumstances o»' the »tti r.iade separation desirable. In ine we -A four children of one family th. father of two of them had obtained a divorce from his wife; in another lamily, where four children were concerned, confirmed insobriety on the part of th" mother, coupled with incompetence and some insobriety on the part of the lather was the ground of committal- One child was deserted bv both parents, and another's mother was "a widow who was in service. Although the total expenditure on the boarded-out children, concluded Mr. Campbell, showed an excess of £299 over the estimates, it was hoped that the Provision mr.de for contingencies would Prevent a deficit at the. close of the financial year, although the prevailing unprecedented conditions make it impossible to oreca&t even the immediate future with anvth ln? like eertainty- He urged that '« board should comprehensively review w position of these children. pi- ♦ Elliott expressed bis profound repet at the apparent callousness of some women who parted with their children. iliey have not the proper feelings of aotaerhood," ho said, "and do not show «* regard for their children which one *o«ld expect." tin v "' llcKenzi said he hoped that the si L • Would bo reviewed, because in Uc a times as the present the country , lod every child it could get, and -wie of the children under the board's! ™ e would, if properly treated, make fine Cl tue» s eventually. i/jvfhe hoard decided to leave the matter SatS ds ° f tho Charstable Aid Com-