CHARITABLE AID. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9045, 21 February 1891, Page 6 (Supplement)

CHARITABLE AID. TO THE EDITOR.

Sin, — a. short time ago you urged tho neoes sity of segregating tho " unfortuuato" class from tba rest of tho community, dealing with thcoi as you would with any infectious (Hsoaec. Isolating them, separating them, they woull bo more eatily controlled, and their powers of corrupting others restrained. In connection with this proposal there i.s one that I hopu may commend itself to the coramuteo of the Benevolent Institution and tha pbilaiithropically inclined in our nudist, lam given to understand that tho Benevolent Institution p*ys the rent of a considerable number of families in Dunedia whose, beads have deserted them. Tbey allow tho recipients of this rent to select their own places of abode, consequently thuy are scittered indiscriminately£ll over.the town, without sny supervision as to cleanliness, decenay, or order. Would it not ba much wiser for tho committee to rent—say, all tbe cheap houses in one, two, or three streets in each quarter of tho town or suburbs; see that these houses are in good end 6uitablo repair sanitarily before occupation. This would, co to speak, localise recipients, and render supervision a comparatively easy matter. This supervision could be placed iv the Unnd3 of wise and pbilsnthropically inclined women, who ehould visit these homes regularly, each undertaking a certain number of families; aiding them in every endeavour to proouro work for the parents or children of such familieH as they attain suitable Bgn. They shsnld take a practical interest in developing cleanliness, order, and beauty in every member of the family gathering; pictures for tbe walls, articles of furniture for their rooms, clothing for their persons, literature of a high and purifying nature for their recreation, even games and amusements are necessary. Bach family should be encouraged to vie with the other iv ths cultivation of neat little gardens— no matter bow small, even boxes of flowers in tha windows where there is no available ground. Tlio children, under thy care of each visitor, should receive lessons in sewing, cooking, cutting out, &c. There might bo o class organised where these subjects could bg taught once a week. One thing is certain, it is much more important to teaoh children—either boys or girls—to understand all tha rudiments of housekeeping than it is to read Latin or solve tho problems of Euclid. At the same time each child should be compelled to attend school regularly. Should they ba detained from school from want of clothing each visitor should make it her aim and object to collect the needed articles from friends, and by degrees encourage the mothers to take a pride in sending their ohildren in a clean and orderly way to school. Even the tiny mites of three years old could be placed in the kindergarten, so leaving the mothers free to take work by the day. This method would prove an advantage in many ways. It would cut at the roots of larrikinism, through many houses being kept much cleaner and more habitablo, tho children themselves being weaned from ruder, rougher ways to higher. Idleness lies at. tho root of most evil. Industry, love of work, always elevates, and should be tho ficst thing cultivated in a human bsing. Love of work is quite natural to children if objects of interest ara pbced before them and avenues to them opened up. As the " twig is bant, the tree grow 3." It will also prova a great preventive to crime of many kinds. At present a woman m»y bo doing her utmost to ovarcome, say, a tendency to drink, but her nest door neighbour h2B no such impulse, and not alone daily, but hourly insinuates herself into her neighbour's house with a tempting glass of beer beneath her apron. Declension or fall are almost certain. But were the homes of the recapients of charitable aid localised, and under tho supervision of visitors, no disorderly conduct could bo carried on without being detected. Should any such be discovered, the Benevolent Institution should cut off all assistance from the offender, and hare ii in their power to remove tho children from such parents' control. The present method of paying rent for any Mcd of a hovel id any quarter or any street seems both irrationsl aud unju3t—irrational because it does not mend sad alter evil-producing conditions; whereas by proper system and method it could do so. Unjust, because it is not at all fair to tax honest, hardworking people for tho support of many who are simply idlers and loafers. Granting that tho bent of parenta grown old in habits is not easily altered, very few cases, I believe, are hopskss. Gardeners can testify that even espalier trees need only pruning and nourishment to produce scores of fresh young twigs, erect and heavenward. Prevention is always better than pure; and it Bhould he tho object of every association or institution to have its methods based upon conditions that will bring forth tho 'highest possible amount of good.—l am, &c, An Eaiinest Sympathiseh, Ducedin, February 20.