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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3264, 17 December 1881, Page 2

The following suggestive letter addressed to tbe Melbourne Age by the secretary i of the Children's Churcb, Mr Hendv, should be read with interest in this colony—" At the present time the minds of our legislators and every thinking Derson are drawn to our Education Act. Its expensive machinery, and the success and non-pnccess of the administration of the same, have been discussed almost in every circle. One view I think we all agree in taking, viz, that it wai intended to provide every boy and girl in the colony with a good, sound education, so that to meet a hoy who could not read and write should he a thing unknown in the colony ; and I believe if the present act was carried out faithfully this would he accomplished, but alas I am very sorry fo say that the very class that tbe act was intended fo benefit has been gros«lv neglected. We hear a great deal Raid about gutter children and the sympathy for them, which ends in words. T am in » position to prove that large numbers of the children so called never go near a State school, and, what is worse, are never looked after. They roam about the streets from morn to night, begging food from the kind-hearted, and money when they can get it. Others go on the rag and honebusiness. It is a great misfortune to thii class that they are allowed to do it. Is it not a disgrace to us as a community, after expending such immense ■sums of money on our State schools, that these children should be completely shut out ? T know several between the ages of 8 and 12 who can neither read nor write. The excuse these children make is that they have no clothes ; and no boots is a never-failing impediment. Surely, Sir, it would be a lesser evil to admit them without bootß than permit them to prow up in ignorance. The truant officer is a complete farce; they only hunt up the absentees; what is wanted is for someone to go where these young people congregate, and there and then compel them to go to school, with or without boots. If one of our Ms. P. wants to lay tha intelligent part of the community under an obligation to him. let him take this matter up, and he will immortalise himself. As one who has labored for years among tbis class, I beg of you to use your influence to do something for these waifs of society, for if they are left to themselves their future will be something terrible." In the ordinary course of events it is reasonable to suppose that the large cities of New Zealand will have their fair share of " gutter children," and it is well to be warned by the experience of such places as Melbourne.