The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1920. FOR THE CHILDREN.

Southland Times, Issue 18936, 24 September 1920, Page 4

The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1920. FOR THE CHILDREN.

To-morrow an appeal that should not fall on deaf cars will be made in the streets of Invercargill. During the past feu weeks Southland people have given generously to aid the needy children of Central Europe and now an effort is to be made to secure funds to provide the means of assisting little children and needy mothers in our midst. The Children’s House is no new project, although the one projected in Invercargill will be the first of its kind hero. In the northern centres and in the large cities of the world these Houses have been an immense success in assisting those mothers who, through force of circumM ;>.nce, cannot give their little ones the care they should have. Women who have to leave their homes to go to work are able to send their children to these Children’s Houses knowing that in those bright spots they will be well cared for during the day and returned to their homes when the mother gets back. Whereevor Houses of the kind intended for Invercargill have been established, a few years has seen them multiplied many times over in order to meet the demand for them, and the amount of good that they accomplish in an unobtrusive way is incalculable. These little rest-houses and infant play-places have no suggestion of institution or charity about them. They are established as a means of coping with a limited but distinctly real problem and the men and

women who have thrown their energy into providing Invercargill with the first centre of the kind arc to be congratulated upon the excellent work they have done r-o far. We. understand that the Children's House Association already possesses a property admirably suited ro its purpose, bright and conveniently situated. A subsidy may be expected from the government, but the funds to maintain the House will have to come from the public. The project docs not entail a very’ heavy expense, but in the

initial year the burden will be unusually heavy, especially in view of the high cost of materials, but the results that may be expected are sufficient to outweigh an expenditure of twice or thrice the sum that the association is aiming at in its street collection on Saturday. A practical work of (his kind deserves the enthusiastic support of everyone. The provision of some place where little ones, who otherwise may have to spend lonely hours, can have opportuni-

ties for play and for care in a hundred little ways is a matter of importance to the entire community, and the request that everybody should contribute a mite towards this excellent work is very modest. Since the inception of the movement the men and women interested in it have worked .•(■‘•l 1 in spite of many difficulties, and their success has been due in no small way to the consistent encouragement that has come to them from everyone who ha? heard of the aims and objects of the Children’s House. We feel that there is small need to flo anything more than draw the attention of the people of Invercargill to this appeal. The object is so worthy, the means adopted are so practical and the results to be obtained so valuable that no one can afford to abstain from assisting. Wc understand that the association is hopeful of obtaining something over £3OO in its appeal to the public to-morrow. We hope sincerely that that amount is exceeded «o that the Children's House tan go through its first year of work with an income equal to its needs.