“THE CRY OF THE CHILDREN.”

Otago Witness, Issue 3195, 9 June 1915, Page 5

“THE CRY OF THE CHILDREN.”

PLEA FOR DR BARNARDO’S PIOMES. The Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark) presided over a pubic meeting held in the City Council Chambers on tbe 18th inst. for the purpose oi' hearing- addresses By ladies at present in Dunedin representing the work o£ Dr Barnardo’s Homes for Children. The special phase of this great nhilanthropy in which these ladies are interested is the “Young- Helpers’ League,” an association of young and old, whose activities are devoted to the crippled and deformed children in Dr Barnardo’s Homes. The Mayor-, in his introductory remarks, expressed his regret that there were not more present to listen to the addresses that were to be given. Miss Crosbey had told him, to his great delight, that at the present time more than ICOO boys from the homes were engaged in fighting for the Empire.—(Applause.) Miss Rachel Norton, general secretary of the Young Helpers’ League, expressed her gratitude to the Mayor lor the opportunity of holding such a meeting. The last news from Home was that the workers there were finding the work exceedingly difficult in England owing to the many urgent demands on the liberality of the people. Miss Cosboy (organiser of the league) said it was about 45 years since Dr Barnardo had begun his great work. iSho outlined the way in wllioh the idea had first come to him, and said that when he died, nine years ago, he had established 140 homes in England, w-hich wore caring for between 7-000 and 8000 children. Last year there were over 6000 applicants for admission to the homes, and after these were sifted 1577 children were freely admitted to the benefits of the homes. In the first week of this year 32 children came into the homes. In each of the larger cities of England there was an “ever open door,” and the applicants wore always admitted first and inquiries made afterwards. Even if tho children wore not permanently kept, they were often helped in other ways. Since Dr Barnardo began his work up to tho present time 80.700 children had been found a. home under his roof. _ Many of the children were boarded out. in country places in England and in Canada. A beautiful country estate had recently boon secured, on which there were now 16 houses, with 500 boys living in them. One of these houses was known as the New Zealand house, for it had been built by the contributions of people in this country. _ The centre of Dr Barnardo’s work was in the Stepney Causeway Home in London, where there were 400 boys, between the ages of 13 and 15, learning trades. She quoted tho fact that the boys there had an order for mats for tho White Star Company, and gave several other illustrations to show how efficient and successful was the instruction given to these lads, who were often very severely handicapped physically. In Norfolk they had a large_ homo, which was recognised by the Admiralty as a trainingschool for the navy. There were at least 200 boys from that home now serving on 91 different ships in the navy. There were, also, a great many of their boys serving in the army. Over 600 came across from Canada to fight for the Homeland, so it was a national work for which they were asking help. In tho o-irls’ village, a few miles out of London, there were 67 pretty little cottages, and in every cottage a family of about 20 girls with a “mother.” Nine hundred of the girls there wore attending school. In that village there was a beautiful building called tho Australasian Hospital, for it had been built by tho people of Australia and New Zealand, who contributed £17,500. About 22 years ago Dr Barnardo had made a special appeal to the healthy and happy children of England, on behalf of the crippled and helpless little ones in his charge. Ho started the Young Helpers’ League, and during the first year 12.000 joined it. In 1913 it had 51,000 members, and was able to raise £25,000. Tho _ league had both senior and junior divisions. The senior membership subscription, for those over 18 years of age, was 2s 6d a year. The junior subscription was Is, and each junior received the League Magazine. The great ambition of each branch of the league was to keep a cot, to bo called by the name of tho branch that supported it. It cost £3O a year to keep a cot. There were already about 500 cots kept by different branches of tho league. In New Zealand several branches had promised to keep a cot. Some of the branches also raised £l6 a year to keep and educate a healthy child in one of tho homes. Some of the young helpers kept a boy in the Watt’s Naval Training School, at a cost of £2O a year, and some of/ the branches raised the £lO to send a boy or girl out to a new home in Canada. The children here in Dunedin would do their share in giving their pennies; but they needed older people to help and encourage them, and to organise. There were a number of hospitals nm in connection with Dr Barnardo’s homes —ono in Stepney Causeway and another for babies at Hawkhurst. Since Dr Barnardo first began his work 25.000 boys and girls had been sent out to and 98 per cent, of those did well.

Surely it was to help in a great work of that kind. Would they all give to it as God had given to them ?

Mr Peter Barr moved that the meeting accord very hearty thanks to Miss Norton and Miss Cosbcy for their most interesting and inspiring addresses. That day they had tho flags flying half-mast in token of sorrow that young lives had been laid down, and it was a relief, and some comfort, to learn of all this that was being’' done for tho saving of young lives. He pitied the man or woman whose heart would not bo stirred at hearing the record of such work as Miss Cosbcy had described. He wished the ladies representing the homo every success as they travelled about. Mr R. Gilkison seconded tho motion, which was carried by acclamation. A vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding terminated the proceedings.