ALLOWANCES FOR CHILDREN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 238, 8 October 1928, Page 6

ALLOWANCES FOR CHILDREN.

Whether prayer is, or is not, an adequate antidote for immorality is a. matter which M hardly likely to be touched ou by peripatetic politicians within the next few weeks. What should come within the perimeter of their passionate pleadings is the fact that the State almost directly encourages immorality, and quite directly discourages the building-up of a sane, healthy and moral community. There is a fine old-fashioned word gone out of use by neglect because its significance is lost to shameless people and its revival might be embarrassing in this country to too many electors. Yet the State, by its "adoption" of illegitimate children for which it pays to foster parents through its Education Department fifteen shillings a week, encourages not only bastardy but babv farming. Legitimate children under the pensions for widows scheme are allowed for at the rate of ten shillings a week. Considering the appalling rate of illegitimacy, whether cloaked bv mariage or not, it wouid | seem that the disproportion in endowment already stated is a direct reflex of national mentality in New Zealand. The matter certainly needs readjusting on any grounds. I will be told that thirty shillings a week is allowed "free" in the' case of widows and that the widow may earn a further amount without loss of allowances. The thirty shillings may be looked on as an average rental, so the disgraceful discrepancy between the maintenance allowances for bastards and decentlyborn children remains. Again, as widows arc expected to keep honestly-begotten children on five shillings a week less than the other sort a J® kept, there is something cynical in granting them permission to earn the difference. I hope someone at every meeting will have the courage to insist on views being expressed unequivocally by Parliamentary candidates concerning this business and will press for a proper allowance for widows and their law-fully-begotten children. Ten shillings a week 15 » starvation allowance for anv child.

OBSERVER.