A BAD START.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16485, 26 February 1914, Page 5

A BAD START.

WAYWARD GIRL IN COURT. [Fa dm Our Cokrespondent.] DUNEDIN, February 23. Proceedings in the Juvenile Court this morning in connection with a girl aged fifteen years and ten months showed that she had made a bad start in life. The Sub-Inspector of Police said that the mother of the girl was a laundress and the father was away from here. The mother had absolutely no control over her daughter. For the past three, months the girl had been staying out at night, having been out as late as .two o'clock in the morning. She had occasionally been brought home in a motor-car and on three occasions she had arrived home in a state of intoxication. She was also given to cigarette smoking. Recently she had been employed in a [restaurant and in an hotel, but owing to her bad habits she had lost her situations. She was arrested this morning in a room which she had rented.

The Magistrate (Mr Widdowson) said that the letting of rooms to young girls had come under his notice on several ocoasions. ; It was a perfect curse to young girls. There was no supervision over them. They could stay out until all hours. He did not know what could be done to - stop it. The only thing for persons letting these rooms was to see that the applicants were genuine in their desire to rent a room.

The mother stated that her daughter sometimes did not come home at .all at nights. She never came home earlier than 11 and 12 o'clock at night. The last time she came home, which was a week ago, she was the worse of drink,, and was sick. Witness could do nothing with her. . The girl.' who had nothing to say, was committed to To Oranga Home, Christchurch, to be brought up in the Church of England form of religion.