The Star. FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 1907. PARENTAL CONTROL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8949, 7 June 1907, Page 2

The Star. FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 1907. PARENTAL CONTROL.

A jury of twelve assorted, burgessei is presumed by the law— perhaps bjR reason of the miscellany it foxmsr--tai be capable of unravelling the deepest* complexities and applying to it 6 pro*j nouncementp a philosophical knowledge with which the Appeal Court itself, could "hardly be credited. Such a sup*! position h derivable from a basis nol' more substantial than a mere hypothec sis, and it is not likely to assist in t-h«( proper administration of justice. IK, the recent abduction case- in Auckland, which has excited considerable ooon-i ment, the jury was asked to decide whether the accused had good reason toil suppose the girl to have attained t3i« ageof sixteen. Upon its decision- hun^ the fate of the prisoner. Now, vdth- ! out discussing the case referred to, »n<^ speaking generally, it may well b^ argued that the^only persons capabU of deciding that question were th© ioti^j mate acquaintances of the girl herso'f* Too often when girls in a similarly unn happy position are placed in t#u? wifr»j ness-box they arrive skilfully dr«wed ttj convey an impression, of youth. Th«| embarrassment which their wretched!plight causes them tend 6 still further to advance the conception of injured^ innocence with which the public please* itself, and is calculated to further inw press the jury. Condonement of eucbjj offences is, of course, impossible, yet the advancement of all extenuating cir* cumstances is not only permissible, but in accordance with the dictates of jus* tice. And these circumstances lie justl where it is mcst undesirable that they) should lie. It is notorious that in out» cities numbers of girls, mere children! of nine -or ten, are allowed to wand«fl unprotected about the streets until lat«{ hours of the night. The natural re* suit is that when the©© have reached! their "teens" their heads have beoomaf literally filled with precocious notions* from which the exercise of a wise paw rental control can alone rid them. Thejf have grown old, too, in their manner^ and speech; they drees in a style un*| suited to their years, and the freslw ness of childhood /has altogether left( them. Punishment, though a neces* sary consequence of legislation, is butf a means for the prevention of vice, andj this prevention can only be secured bj| following t!he course of error to it 4 source. The most culpable persons ia( such cases as are referred to are th*( parents themselves, and they should ©flj such occasions be called upon by th# Court to show whether they have exer^ cised a careful supervision over theil! charges and not allowed them to direct their own movements to the detriment! of their characters. The issuing of citations and the registration of a f«^ convictions wouldi help the cause of morality more than, any number of seiw tentioua addresses by learned divines* For morality unenfoa'ced by legislation? •is much like a finely-graven but illi sharpened sword — an object of infcelw^ admiration which causes no on» «si swerve from his chosen path.