The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1888. The Rising Generation

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 97, 17 March 1888, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1888. The Rising Generation

Notwithstanding the warnings of the press, and the well directed efforts of the police towards suppressing larrikinism, the unpleasant fact i» continually forced upon us that the youth of this country are likely to give a great deal of trouble as men in the future. The fault does not lie with them, but with their parents, who appear to abandon all control over their children as soon as the lalteir are breeched. Parents seem to be utterly indifferent as to where their sons are congregated, or what they are doing?. They allow them to go out, and come in at whatever hour- in the night suits them, without enquiry or reproof. This is not as it should be. Parents ought to remember they are responsible to a -higher tribunal than the law for the proper bringing up of their children until the .years of discretion are reached. They should also remember a beneficent Government has relieved them of the burden of secularly educating their families, therefore they ought cheerfully to undertake their share of the good work of making the coming generation good citizens and respectable members of society, by inculcating lessons of morality and virtue, both by precept and example. Failing in this in the present they are laying up a store of sorrow and regret for the future. We notice that in Napier the Key. F. N. Corotohd has been uttering a word of warning, which has been re-ochoed by the Waipa wa Mail with trenchant power. The reverend gentleman has told the people some home truths. It would be well (says the Mail) if Ministers of the Gospel would speak out of tener in this direction, and awake from their fools' sleep the criminally careless parents. Mr Cobotobd quoted statistics to show that while crime amongst adults is decreasing, juvenile crime is increasing with fearful rapidity/ This is traced chiefly to the laxity of parents of the present day, in giving careful moral and religious training in the family circle. No legislative enactments, nor any influence outside the home circle could so affect the young as their daily surroundings in the family, and reform must begin there. We do hope that the parents of Feilding and neighborhood will mark these words and act upon them. Let them begin at once, and keep their boys out of the streets at night. We believe that if the clergy of all denominations wera to show a united and sincere determination to educate the youth of the day in religion, they would ultimately regain that which pained them so much to lose- the privilege of religious teaching in schools.