A Deplorable State of Affairs.

NZ Truth, Issue 65, 15 September 1906, Page 5

A Deplorable State of Affairs.

Whatf kind of. supervisiom d» th« charitable institutions exercise oreis boarded out children ? Precious little, it appears, although they profess to look after their welfare and all that sort of thino-.

A most pitiable case, about the worst ■on record m this- particular connection. was i unearthed m Christchurch this week, and it shows Bumble and" others up m a terribly) bad way. ' The case was that of a, cripple, of seventeen years of age r who 'had been "boarded out" to a Timaru family, or a family located close to Timaru, and they made him herd cows, arid his education was entirely neglected, so much so m Tact that the lamentable chronicle has to be made '-that, although seventeen lie does not yet knd.w-his alphabet. It was the plain dut^ of .those cow, people, of cow-like intellect, to teach the unfortunate lad something, seeing that they were presumably paid for his keep and had his services as well. It is true that his services were not , worth much.^as he has been a 'cripplte since he was 1 three years of age, and ; has lost the use of his legs. He Qa.n get along at a good bat, however,, despite this deplorable physical .defect, by using his hands m locomotion: his feet being gathered underneath; him, as though he were sitting oni, them. He presents a ■

" SINGULAR AND SORROWFUL , SPEOTACL^ - . and the people ; with whom he lived! • seemed to , thinfc \ that he could betreated little, better than a dog. 4 . Afk any rate, according to his own account, he lived a dog's life and de« tided to clear out. He had no cash,, ' so he commenced to collect bottles m Timaru, .;and with the proceeds) took a second-cla^s ticket to Christ- . church. On arrival there he was;" practicajly penniless and was roving* . round Sydehham presenting a unique* v sight when the police questioned him* r -and it was through their efforts;; \ that he was afforded shelter. But afc.j first even they were refused. Theyj • tried to get him admitted to the » -Nazareth Home, but these followers of the lowly Nazarene had no time for him and he had to move on. The , people at the Samaritan Home took 1 him, but only temporarily.-

' THIS STRANGE STORY was told at a meeting of the Samaritan Home trustees. It was stated! that the South Canterbury Charitable Aid Board had promised the police to make provision for the lad,, but later on withdrew the promise on the ground that the unfortunate > lad was over, the age limit for boarding out- What is a Charitable Aid • Board for but to, administer charity] . and if, it could not 'do it m one way,/ it could do it m another, as is done* every day of the week. There are many people who; are by no means poor and yet "doing" the Charitable Aid Boards for charity doles or, rations, and yet a poor cripple like; this receives not the slightest consideration. Such callous indifference, to the wants of a, homeless human being is inconceivable, and it is onlyj m a place \ like Tar tuffish Timaru! that such a thing could happen. However, the Samatarian Home trustees had the lad m .before them and were . amazed, not only at the way he "walked," but at the fact that hecould neither read or write, and that he had been so sadly neglected, all his life; but they found the boy to, be 1 a "battler" all ripht. He wanted to learn what he should have learnt lone: ago, and would be .more than "pleased if he could be. taught a trade, bootmaking ,6r any occupation at which he could sit down. The trustees asked him a number of Questions about the people he had been boarded out with and tbe^. answers were by no means favorable tq them., . • ■ -

Asked if they went to chtirch he replied, "Them*>o to church !" m a tone, of ineffable disdain. Well they, would be nice beauties ,to go to church, m view or the Yerv Christian: manner m which they- have treated this deformed waif., There was some discussion over the sorry case, and!' it was stated that the lad might be sent to the Roman Catholic Home.ai Wellington, when that place is opea. for the reception of such cases— The Home of Compassion., There seemed* however, to be an iiipression that ifc < was not open yet. (The new Honve^f at Island Bay. is riot open, yet, and! the Buckle-street temporary Home is already overcrowded.-HEd- "Truth.")} The lad is keenly desirous of learning a trade, and itwas resolved to endeav*. or to have his wish granted. In the meantime that precious South Can* terbury Charitable Aid Board is *to be billed for the cost of the up-keepi of the boy at the Home, and they, ; will liave to nart up.