THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1899. PROTECTION OF YOUNG PERSONS

Temuka Leader, Issue 3507, 19 October 1899, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1899. PROTECTION OF YOUNG PERSONS

There was a very strong fight over the Young Persons Protection Bill in the Legislative Council, and it only passed through that chamber by a very narrow majority. The measure was a Ministerial one, but the voting was non-party. Some of the bitterest opponents of- the measure were those usually supporting the Ctovernm nt, while such determined Government opponents as the Hons. C. 0. Bowen, Scotland, and others supported it. Those who say that the members of tho Council appointed by the Government do as Mr Seddou tolls them ought to have witnessed the vehemence with which some of them condemned this measure. The fact is that neither Mr Seddou nor any one else in the whole course of his life interfered in the slightest degree with members of the Council. Every member of the Council rotes exactly as he thinks fit ; no one interferes with him in the remotest degree, and it is quite untrue to say otherwise. In the matter of the Young Persons Protection Bill this was tho c se. 1 Every one did as he thought besg the difference of opinion being on the point as to whether the Bill was or was not necessary. Tho Bill aims at compelling parents and guardians of young poopls to keep them at home after 9 o’clock at night. It provides for the appointment of protection officers, either male or female, who, when they see boys or girls under tho ago of 11 years habitually loitering about the streets between tho hours of !) o’clock at night and u o’clock in the morning may question them, and if tho answers aro not satisfactory, take them homo or to a refuge They may also bo brought before a magistrate and dealt with as lie thinks fit. These are tho leading features of the Bill. It is tho result of representations made to the Government to tho effect that iu tho larger towns young girls were being ruined by being allowed by negligent parents to wander about the streets lit nights, wlnJo young' hoys were also led into bad habits in the same way. The objections to the Bill were that such was not the case to any great extent; that it placed in the hands of protection officers and policemen tho power to accost respectable girls, who wou d be ruined by the suspicion thus thrown upon them. A committee was set up, and several witnesses were examined, including Mr inspector Pender, the Anglican Bishop of Wellington, ladies in charge of the Salvation Army home aad several similar institutions, and each and all of these, without a single exception, said the Bill was necessary and ' would do a great deal of good. One would think that this would have a great effect on tho minds of members, but it had not. Such as opposed it in the beginning, opposed it to the end, for the stupidity of many public men that once they commit themselves to an opinion, they think it inconsistent for them to change it. Now with regard to this matter tho position is this : It has been proved by evidence laid before the Council that parental authority in this colony is extremely lax; that in consequence of this young girls and boys are allowed to roam about tho streets at night to their own moral detriment, and that something like the Bill under review is necessaz-y to stem this growing evil. But, notwithstanding that all tins was shown, several well-meaning gentlemen objected to giving the power to any one to interfere with young girls under the circumstances pointed out. To us this is astonishing, more especially in the face of the fact that policemen have at present almost unlimited power regarding people going about tho town at night. Tho power of the police is very large iu this respect, but when is it abused to the extent of iuteafering with decent people ? Very seldom indeed. In Auckland, a year or two ago, jiolicemen apparently exceeded their legitimate duty, but some oil' them zvsro dismissed and others wore degraded. It would be so with regard to the Young Presons Protections Bill. Persons charged ■with the administration of the Act would exercise great care in respect of it, and zzo injustice would be done. On the other hand, tho existence of such a check on the liberties of young persons would have tho effect of forcing the parents to be more careful, while at the same time it would help them to control tho actions of their children, The evil arises out of tho parents being top careless and too indulgent, and the children consequently grow wilful and headstrong. If this Act comes into force the children will know that they will render themselves liable to legal penalties if they go out at night, and consequently tho parents will have less dilll eulty in keeping them at homo. But tho timidity of the Council weakened the measure’s usefulness by an amendment carried on the motion of tho Hon. G. C. Bowen. In tho original Bill tho ago was set down at 16 years, but this was reduced to IT years, so chat now no one can interfere with any one over that age. It is a great pity the age was reduced, as the measure would have been far more useful if it gave control over children up to the age of 10 y ars. There can he no doubt that young people want looking after up to that age, and as the parents in many instances neglect this duty, tho Citato ought to do it. It is to tho advantage of the State to bring up its citizens moral and good Hying, and prevent crime ami vice. The best way to do so is to train the young, and keep them away from the pitfalls by which thejr footsteps are beset.