THE CRY OF THE CHILHREN.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11645, 24 August 1905, Page 7

THE CRY OF THE CHILHREN.

Under the above heading the Manawatu Times draws the attention of its readeis to a pitiable case of destitution and squalor that one would expect to find in the back slums of a large city rather than in a comparatively jwealthy and young community like Palmerston North. It apyears (says the Times), that for some time past the susceptibilities of dwellers in a fashionable locality a little distance out of town, and many other people who jjass that way, have been daily shocked by the evidences of cruel neglect that are forced under their notice in the condition of a family of sonic six of seven yong children who play about the street. In the present instance it was found that an elder sister and brother, both nearing the end of their teens, and six or seven little children occupy the house. The elder sister has no control over the little ones, and the is too lazy to trouble himself -on their behalf. Their father* is -earning from 10s to 14s a day, but he never or very rarely goes home, and his money is largely spent in alcohol. The children are in a state of savagery, are half-clothed, ill.fed (living largely on crusts of bread), dirty, unkempt and unwashed. A short time ago their condition was such that a medical man had to be called in to rid them of the foul results of their neglected condition.

Interviewed by a Times representative, the Rev. Mr Harper, who visited the house several times, said: "The picture in your paper of the state of these children is underdrawn, not overdrawn.'' Describing his earlier visits to the house, he said there is no furniture in the kitchen save a table and two or three sacks on the floor. In the other rooms there are some old bedsteads covered with sacks and rags. There are none of those things which go> to provide convenience and decency. The children's fare seems to consist largely of bread which the baker is instructed to deliver, and occasionally the elder children get some meat and make a stew. The little ones are better clothed now than they were a month or two back owing to the kindness of neighbours, but they seem to suffer from skin eruptions of a very distressing kind. The father (who is not particularly addicted to alcohol as was at first stated) is absolutely callous and indifferent and makes no response to the arguments used to try and rouse him to a sense of duty. He seems to think that the children are doing well enough, and that he canuot do anything more for them, and nothing matters. He is not at all averse to kindly people feeding and caring for them, .but he isn't going to bother. The police say they can do nothing. If the children steal they can be arrested and sent to an industrial school, but they don't steal. They simply' live on from day to day in filth and misery. When the mother was alive the family was respectable. Now the father has charge, the eldest daughter spends a lot of time on, the streets, and six Jittl© waifs, from nine years downward, look after themselves. It is a sad picture, and indicates a condition of affairs which simply cannot be allowed to go_on. The Times adds that Mr Harper interviewed the police, charitable authorities, and even, the local Magistrate to see if something could not be done to relieve them. But there is no provision in law in New Zealand to make neglectful parents do their duty to their offspring. So long as parents provide a roof for them and do not actually starve them to death, the law takes no cogaisance of the rising generation.

• A leading resident at Opotiki'has been fined £7 and costs for a violent assault upon the local Anglican clergyman (Rev. T. Anson Cato). His defence was that the minister had written an insulting letter concerning defendant's son.

A very' amusing incident happened at a sitting of the Native "Land Court at Tokomaru (writes the Gisborn© correspondent of the Auckland Herald). An application had been lodged for succession to a deceased native, and on the case being called on by Judge Jones, the "deceased" appeared, and submitted that the application was premature.

The annual report of the Mells Co-opera-tive Dairy Company, Mokoia, Taranaki, states that at their factories and creameries they received during "ttfe year 5,918,469 lbs of milk, producing 224,801 lbs of butter fat, which, manufactured into butter, equalled 110 tons 12$ cwt. over-run for the year' averaged 11.75. The test averaged 3.82, and the grade 92.70 (second highest at Patea Freezing Worlcs). The -sum of .£7859 11s 4d was paid suppliers, leaving a balance of £4:0 13s 6d. The 'average payment to 9upijliers has l>een a shade over 9d per lb.