NEGLECTED CHILDREN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1848, 6 September 1913, Page 5

NEGLECTED CHILDREN.

0 UP-TO-DATE METHODS OF CONTROL. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. September 5, 9.35 p.m.) Sydney, September 5. The report of Sir Charles Mackillar (president of tho State Children Board of New South Wales) on neglected and delinquent children, has been tabled in tho Assembly. Sir Charles makes a number of recommendations lor the improvement of tho existing system, including a proposal for tho introduction of tho Borstal reformatory system; tho reorganisation of tho Children's Courts, so that young children shall bo judged from psychological and sociological standards, instead'of merely legal standards; the regulation of tho circulation of pernicious literature, and of the attendance of children at picture shows; legislation to compel 'defaulting husbands and fathers to maintain Their families; that an officer of tho Children's Council of Appeal should, in all affiliation cases, and when required, proceed on behalf of the applicant, if satisfied that there is a gonuine prima facie case against tho putative father; also, ho recommends' the appointments 01 a guardian for evory illegitimate child. Under the provisions of tho Crimes Act, 1908, this Court, instead of passing a sentence of penal servitude or imprisonment, may order the detention of the offender under penal discipline, for a period of not less than one year nor more than three years, in a Borstal Institution. The svstera takes its name from Borstal Prison, Rochester, whore it lias been carried on for some years with very gratifying results. In August, 1909, the namo of Borstal Prison was officially altered to Borstal Institution. .On a boy s discharge from the institution Hi® is handed over to the Borstal Association (offices, 15 Buckingham Street. Strand), a. societff founded bv Sir Evelyn .Buggles-Bnse, chairman of the Prison Commission. The association explains that the Borstal system. "encourages growth of body and mind,' growth of .self-re>straint and selfrespect,' and of pride in increasing ability to do hard work intelligently and un ; na»<dngly. It is not a namby-pamby system? Only those \wlio accept its strons incentive'and reformative methods find it tolerable; those who. do not, entrea't foi remoral to other prisons Vhero less development and improvement of their latent capacities are demanded. On a Day f discharge from til? institution, tlie Borstal Association sees that ho has tho mean! to live decenWv so long as ho i-=j nf good conduct until he tons become fairly es tablished.