POLLARD’S JUVENILES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 13058, 28 April 1910, Page 7

POLLARD’S JUVENILES.

COMPLAINS AS TO TREATMENT. Children to be Sent Hems. Press Association.—Telegraph .—Copyright. ' PERTH, April 27. In connection with complaints made to the Federal Government about the treatment of Australian children by members of Pollard’" Opera Company in India which resulted in Pollard bringing an action at Madras against Mr Rouse, who intervened on behalf of the children, claiming- 50,000 rupees for kidnapping the children, the Ceylon Times, to hand by the mail, publishes a telegram from Madras stating that the High Court removed the children from Pollard’s care and provided guardians for them pending their return to Australia. Rouse undertook to send them back.

Tire Pollard’s Juvenile Company mentioned is an Australian company, consist-’ ing entirely of Australian children. It is not the well-known company lately conducted by Mr Tom Pollard. THE CHILDREN IN INDIA. Representations were made to the External Affairs Department in Melbourne on April 11th by parents of the .children, who are members of .the Pollard Opera Company, now in India, It v .as slated that when the children left Australia it was expressly stated that they should not go to India. Mr Shephard, Actinng-Secretary of the Department, promised that the matter should receive immediate attention, and that a cablegram would he sent to the Indian Government, setting forth the misrepresentations of/the parents. He, how,.ever, pointed out that in the agreement with Pollard, a copy of which they had, given him, there was no reference to any objection to the children visiting India. It was stated that they were to travel and perform and be educated i.y Hie management. The engagement in most cases was to last -three years. The children undertook to travel in Australia, or in any other part of the world, and Pollard had to maintain, provide clothes and educate them, and had to pay a. fixed salary per month, in some cases .£7 per month’ Pollard was also required to return them to Melbourne at the end of three years, and under the agreement, the children were to be exclusively under the care and parental control of the manager, and were to give that company their exclusive services.