THE NEW ZEALAND CRIME.

Southern Cross, Volume 9, Issue 2, 13 April 1901, Page 12

THE NEW ZEALAND CRIME.

We could go through a long list of cases of embezzlement, cases which hive never met the public eye, indicating base dishonesty and ingratitude on the part of young men, whose action it becomes almost impossible to account for. What is the disease that attacks the moral fibre of these individuals, who create bitter suffering for their friends, bring disgrace and min upon themselves, and render themselves outcasts because of their inability to resist temptation, which really should be no temptation. Gambling and drunkenness may do their share of the mischief, but in many cases these vices are not present. We are not tilting at a windmill. We have not set up a straw man for the pleasure of knocking him down again. The evil we refer to is a prominent one, and if the general public only knew of the number of cases that are settled quietly they would be astonished. Within the last week or two a very bad case has come to our notice, but the public will never hear of it, ‘As the twig is bent the tree is inclined,’ Consideration of the topic under our consideration leads us to ask the question, Is sufficient care taken to inculate moral principles in our school children P We believe that our schools do good work so far as equipping the children with a good knowledge of their school books is concerned ; bat is sufficient attention paid to the higher moral culture of the young minds ? This does not raise the vexed question of religious education in schools. Neither creed nor religion need enter into the argument. Ho religious text book is required. A school teacher may be Jew, Christian, or Mohammedan and inculcate the finest moral principles. Honesty; duty to parents; kindness to dumb animals ; truthfulness; are all qualities that adorn every boy, and can be urged by every teacher, whose mind is of a high standard, irrespective of dogma or religious creed—Taieri Advocate.