THE WAYWARD GIRL.

Observer, Volume XVI, Issue 924, 26 September 1896, Page 6

THE WAYWARD GIRL.

A Panacea for Juvenile Depravity.

The Victorian scheme of dealing with girls of tender years found leading, or in danger of leading, abandoned lives, as explained by Mrs Hntchinson, ol the Salvation Army, at the meeting at the Auckland Municipal Buildings last Monday, seems to work well, and in some respects very well adapted for oar own exigencies. In Melbourne, it appears, the Victorian Government and the Salvation Army co operate in respect to the reclamation of girls from a bad life, and there is an Act in force there which endows some of the officers of the Army with the powers of a police constable as far as the- -apprehension and detention of viciotis children is concerned. The Salvation Army Homes are gazetted

places of detention, and the girls are committed as wards of the State, and can be kept till they are 20 years of age. As soon as possible they are drafted into healthy country surroundings. The Victorian Government practically assists with a subsidy, and the Army finds the buildings and equipments and officers to carry oat the work of juvenile reformation. There is no doubt that something of this sort is needed here. Auckland has not reached the immoral pre-eminence of Melbourne, but still we can show a good deal for our size in that line, and there are dozens — scores — of young chiidreu in their early teena, and some even younger, who are to be seen, about the streets at night. There can be no doubt as to where they will wind vp — the hospital or the gaol. At present, there is no legal way of dealing with these children. Unless they are ' neglected ' children within the strict meaning of the Act, the police cannot touch them, and unless they are actually found living in houses of ill fame the law cannot step in to protect them from themselves. We do not believe in giving an ordinary policeman too much power in cases of this sort, where no actual crime is committed, but in the interests of the girls themselves and of the community generally, some means must, and that very soon, be devised to get round the difficulty. A Statute modelled on the general lines of the Victorian Act might be found to work well. Certain of the officers of the salvation Army, Door of Hope, and other rescue organisations might be appointed special constables, as in Melbourne, with power to convey to the Homes young girls under a certain age found in the streets under such circumstances. As for the adult women, that is another thing. If the girls were ' caught young,' and the wholesome fear of the law were added to the obstacles placed in the way of them falling into evil ways, the chances would work for permanent reclamation. Care would have to be taken that all sectarian or denominational influences would be avoided, and that power was given to the authorities of the rescue homes to detain girls for a certain period, and to re-appre" hend them if they left without leave. Here is ample material for Mr Seddon or some other social reformer to exercise his legislative ingenuity upon before next session.