CHILDREN AND CHARITABLE AID.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16288, 22 January 1915, Page 6

CHILDREN AND CHARITABLE AID.

CALLOUSNESS OF PARENTS. (Pes UHrr*.n Pbess Association.* WELLINGTON. January 21. "These women seom to have 110 ehanie anil no compunction about paiti.ng with their children arid leaving them under the board's -cure.'' said the Rev. ,J. K. Elliott at the meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board to-day, when assistance for children under the board's care was being dieouwed. The subjcct came up when tlio chairman of the Charitable Aid Committee (Mr D. Campbell) supplemented his financial statement with a reference to the increasing number of children dealt with at the board's institutions. lie said that the number of children committed had increased ly 37, ae compared with the first nine months of the previous year, the present number in homes and schools being 315. As examples of the cases dealt with, Mr Campbell mentioned that of 29 children committed from August to December 12 were the illegitimate offspring of single women. In the casts of seven children the fathers had deserted, and the cirouinstances of the mothers made separation desirable. In one case of four children of on? family the father of two of them had divorced his wife for misconduct with the father of her other two children, who were illegitimate. In another family whore four children were concerned confirmed insobriety on the part of the mother, coupled with incompetence and some insobriety on the part of .the father, was the around of committal. One child was deserted by 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, " shows an excess of £299 over estimates, it is hoped that the provision made for contingencies will prevent a deficit at the close of the financial year, although the prevailing unprecedented conditions make it impossible to forecast e\»3n the immediate future with anything like certainty." Tie urged that the board should comprehensively review the position of the children. It was at tliis fitacro that tlio Rev. Mr Elliott expressed his profound regret at the apparent callousnrfr-s of some women who parted with their children. "The- have not the prooer feelings of motherhood." he said, "and do not sTiow the regard for their children which one would expect." I)r M'Kenzi© said he hoped that the position would be reviewed, bocausfi in such 'time as the present the country wanted every child it could get. and r-ome of the children under the lward's cane, would, if properly treated, make fine citizens. Eventually the boajd deoided to leave f matter in the. hands of the Charitable Aid Committee to go into.