Cutten Criticism.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 17858, 10 June 1922, Page 3

Cutten Criticism.

IS IT WELL WITH VS.? THE WOMEN'S PART. (By Elsie K. Morton in the Auckland “Herald.”) . A good deal has been said in public lately about the laxity of present day standards among young people, of the perils of waning home influence, of the. grave effect or certain conditions of modern life upon women. The indictment of social conditions in Auckland mado by the City's senior magistrate to members of synod lias raised the usual storm of protest, the usual charge that magistrates and social workers sec these matters from one viewpoint only, and that their opinion is therefore necessarily more or less biassed, It is curious how people will believe only the things they care to believe. IVhen tho social workers told us a few weeks ago that there was .much poverty and distress in our city, Aucklanders simply took their word for it, and with splendid generosity and .warm-hearted sympathy, did their utmost to relieve it.. . . Yet when people who know the facts talk of tho spiritual poverty in our midst, of the canker of sin, of the starvation of human souls, there is an immediate outcry and a charge of exaggeration, based on the plea that there are far more good people than bad in Auckland. 'Quite so, just as there are more well-to-do than destitute, but the mere fact of a majority of the _ virtuous in no way lessens the reality or tho growing menace of evil, nor entitles us to shut our eyes and our hearts to the truth that tilings are not as well with our young nation’s spiritual life as they might, and should be.

NEED FOR HIGHER STANDARDS. Two phases of Mr Cutten’s address are particularly worthy the attention of all Aucklanders who really have at heart the welfare of / their city, the charge of an increasing laxity in moial tone, and the responsibility of women in regard to the upholding of higher standards of life and conduct, borne So°d people appear to have read into Mr Outteu’s remarks a. conviction that society in general, And the young peoi P‘°. P* particular, are plunging to perdition as fast as they can go, and tliat Auckland women as a whole, are a bad lot, compared with their grandmothers. It may be said at once that no thinking person would for one moment subscribe to such an idea. Despite signs of a growing evil which none of us ignore, the heart of society is still sound, still capable of generous response to every claim and call to nobler things. But there is no doubt at. all, if one reads aright the sign of the times, of the growth of an evil influence that belongs to the undesirable element which, although representing a minority, is part and parcel - ° °/ evei 7 community, and a disturbing feature of this sinister influence la its effect upon the young life of the nation. It is no use goocfgpeople getting angry and saying dus is a he and a libel- they would probably suffer a rude shock if told of a few things so well known to all whose business it is to look into such matters rQ^r c tiley c Ceaso 40 c: i use surprise. They realise, of course, that some of these are exceptional cases but the tMim l ! 6 n 13 " that tlles9 exceptional_ cases are year by year less exceptional. Take just bv eveiw* W l l ch }' a:i , ’ Deeu confirmed mentlt Ll ker 1° whom h lma 156011 mentioned year by year girls of

gw a «° tang admitted to cert tarn places of detention.in Auckland ItZl'u? f r nci ; ly the suribom , tc ! lty who “ran wild,” the jV’f®, rhe inmates now vary from thirteen to seven toon, while J,iMv ’ adm tted n "n t r l^:i-ve e al S o £n admitted. No less disturbing is t),„ htt, ° g V ls of some times fifteen, and even fourteen am amof4 a ‘ V the ofc m"^ reqi,<>ntly nuin^red couple of yeaVs ™ *o It a diamm it, fio ’ 1 noticed a great with 6 sorrow C and t tonee and a desire to do 1 teL iT U ~ is not so much nf tiio+ •-± m§mm . good sign in the j ife S '' £ ,cl 18 11 os a community. ° 01 an y young

it*™ ° F HOME the to rSif £ S ?'*** Questions, home to one tI L V*?, 1S boni ° childhood is s t jlr ie CoUntl '-W tho 'sweet ■„, ] L r j* o m °st part, he, there is'a crown? - *' l t jfc should SAi&SFjTpti t.ons that Aucklanders can crfoo" efV.' of V< tlie''we*! f are S o7 i the' n adva,,^ mont Sr S' 111 eVei ' > ' a PP°s7fo? support for work among our boys and girls there is a call to every man and ,vo man who loves childhood, and has at heart tho spiritual as veil as '11',,, material welfare of their splendid eitv Especially is there a call to womanhood m regard to those matters. There are a number of most worthy societies at work in our midst, hut 'they are not receiving the support they should receive, nor the encouragement necessary to ennblo them to do all they would wish to do in advancing the morn! and social well-being „f the community. The work is left, for tho most part, to the faithful and devoted few, The time, is over-due for a change or ,® n .rE f°. r a fuller realisation of responsibility in these matters, and for n greater willingness on the pnrt of women to come forward and help to hear the burden so long and so nobly homo by their sister women. There are sure xiMm lUni Xl..J_ X _ *_ _• _ , -|«

signs.that this city is coming to realise that it has too long separated religion from daily life, signs of a reviving interest in the things that, make" for strength and righteous in national life, and women must l>e ready to take a stronger load in fostering and directing this impulse towards better things. Week by week, for instnneo, Auckland men sit on the public platform at our Citizens’ Intercessory Services, conducting its readings , and prayers, but so far no woman citizen has appeared there, although we have- many strong and splendid women Christians in our citizenship. Does this mean that it is not intended that women shall take a prominent part in this good movement, that any who may have been approached have been unwilling to do so, or oan it be that they have not yet 'oocn consulted in the matter? Above all, it is leaders who are wanted in tho present time of changing standards, of strife between a re* awakening spirit of Christian service, and tho strongly established forces of Hellish ness and ovil. Particularly arc women wanted, women of mind and pouer, ready to undertake the glories and penalties of leadership, to gather tip into capable hands all the loose ends of misdirected energy, to wisely order and control all tho unmai'slnilled forces of zeal and enthusiasm that may be seeking worthy [ outlet.