MELBOURNE CHILD BEGGARS

Taranaki Daily News, 30 January 1931, Page 9

MELBOURNE CHILD BEGGARS

HEW YEAR’S EVE INCIDENTS.

HAPPY NSW YBAE—PERHAPS:

Mendicancy may be a misfortune or a profession. It is bad enough to have, to “size up” adult mendicants. But child mendicants would present a far worse problem. On New Year’s Day the Argus told as follows of this feature of Melbourne’s holiday proceedings culminating on the preceding night (New Year’s Eve):— Children masquerading as soldiers, sailors, Egyptians, Turks, swagmen, negro minstrels, brides, bridegrooms, and other characters have invaded the city streets in the holiday period. Money boxes rattle pennies already collected, while shrill childish voices call upon the passer-by with some such cry as “Spare a coin, mister!” Yesterday the invasion reached its height. ' The presence of these child mendicants in the streets has attracted the attention of many who deplore it as evil for the children and a nuisance to the public. One business man in the city described it as “the beginning of degredation.” “The law was no asa,” he said, “when it forbade street begging and made no provision for the prosecution and punishment of those who practised, it. Promiscuous charity is a practice at at all times to be condemned, and when it is extended to children it becomes a still greater evil.” Members of the plain clothes-branch of the Police Force have been giving attention to the matter. Some children have been warned off the streets and in* Mructed to go home, but supervision is limited by the fact that children who refrain from objectionable actions, and commit no direct breach of the law are free from police intervention. “We do what we can,” said one member of the branch, “and certainly we have succeeded in dispersing some of them, but tonight they will be at concert pitch, and cannot interfere.” . One child, seated inside the closed entrance to a shop, was wistfully removing a number of pennic from a tin box. His garb apparently was intended to represent that of an Egyptian. The top of a woman’s stocking was drawn over his head; his face was heavily “made up” with cosmetics, and a ragged gown completed the dress. In reply to a question he said that he had been dressed up by his mother and sent out to beg. His pennies were few, and he was obviously weary and somewhat dubious about returning home. Outside the bar of a large city hotel an emaciated girl aged about 10 years, and wearing a “sailor” suit several sizes too stood rattling a tin to attract attention. At her side was another child, several years her junior, clad in a dirty white frock reaching to her toes. A torn piece of imitation lace suspended from a poorly improvised wreath completed the representation of a bride. Other children in all manner of dress and with blackened faces roamed through shops, publicbuildings and hotel bars. A few were enjoying the “fun,” but the majority displayed a tragic earnestness in their begging which indicated that it was an imposed task. Commenting on the presence of the children in the city, the chief secretary of the Salvation Army (Colonel W. A. Suttor) said last night that it must be obvious to all who gave the matter thought that it was extremely harmful to the children. He condemned the practice of begging alms in any manner, and said that it was even more serious when it affected children. In Ceylon, where he had served the Salvation Army for a number of years, the problem had become acute. Eventually a home, to which all street beggars were removed, had been established under the management of the Salvation Army. By special ordinance it was compulsory for beggars to enter the home, where they were housed, fed and instructed in such trades as weaving and mat-making. Magistrates paid periodical visits to the home, and when, it was proved that an inmate was capable of keeping himself he was allowed to leave.