BABY FARM LEGISLATION.

NZ Truth, Issue 114, 24 August 1907, Page 4

BABY FARM LEGISLATION.

* Judging from the reply made by the Attornej^-General, Dr. Pindlay, to the deputation which waited upon him during the week with the object of impressing on the Government the urgent need of more closely safeguarding the lives of infants "farmed" put at so . much per week, "Truth" imagines that the Ministry will certainly do something to suppress what is more than an evil, viz., a blot on our civilisation. That the law as it at present stands is a disgrace to any socalled progressive community is a fact none will have the temerity to deny, and it is a matter affording a little congratulation that the recently concluded criminal assizes m the four centres of the Dominion had not to deal with charges involving the loss of infantile life through the gross and criminal neglect of foster-mothers, who too often show a disposition to cruelly d-o to death the unwelcome infant, if the inducement is strong enough. The revelations made at various periods m the criminal courts of New Zealand and Australia too clearly show that the general laxity and looseness of the law governing baby-farms leaves loop-holes open for infant murder on an alarming scale. That there should be baby-farms at all ought to be sufficient reason to convince the authorities that irreater care than ever is needed. The looseness of the law with regard to the registration of birth is such that infants can be brought into this world and speedily sent out again without anybody, excepting the murderous monster, the farmer, being aware of the wickedness of affairs. Unfortunately, however, it is always the case, that done to death infants are always illegitimates, whom nobody wants, and for whom not even the foster mother faggot gives a moment's motherly consideration. It is always the unwanted illegitimate that passes out, and it too . often happens that the unfortunate and socially abandoned mother can ill afford to pay for the child's keep, and consequently the chances of that child are small indeed. The baby farm curse is one that must be grappled with promptly. There is no occasion, as Dr. Findlay seemed to imagine, to think that m these establishments the illegitimate receives more attention than the legitimate. A vast percentage of farmed out babies are illegitimates, and the chances of the child living and thriving always seems to depend on the mother's ability to pay. What is wanted, if the baby farm is not to be abolished, is that such "boarding" establishments shall be placed under such strict supervision that, m tile event of real, right-down cruelty and neglect, not only shall the "farmer" be responsible to the law, but that some speciallyselected nurse or inspector should be called to account for having allowed such a state of afia'irs to exist. Why cannot some of our wealthy philanthropists endow, some foundling home ? ' Such homes are as necessary as hospitals, mote imperative than gaols. Why cannot the Government build such homes and the public can always be "jdepended upon to support them, .everjf if indirectly taxed for their upkeep. If 'ibaby farms" are to be allowed to exist as slow-murder homes for infants, then those too often .l^ud-faeed and still more hard-hearted females who run them must be kqpt under such surveillance that ther£ shall be no possibility of "accidents" happening. If the delectable bjUjy-farmcr is to exist, then their p^ths should be made as rocky as possible. There is often a secret understanding between these fostcr-niothers and their clients that the infa-nt's death would be better for everybody. So lona; as the law i*emains ,-as it is,, so long as the police hani^s are tied as they are, so long the^i will there be a danger of an increase m our infantile mortality. ,-^-A country's best assets is its babies, legitimate or otherwise, though under present social circumstances, legitimates are preferable, miu;l unless the Now Zealand Government moves m this matter, and by ir jstrinp-ent legislation so ties the numerous hand of the. babyEarmer. thqji". must it be answerable to posterity. A lead must be taken m the direction of more fully protecting -infant life. Now Zealand should Syojt,- a good example, nn example, ...which will be surely followed by ,Au c :( rnlia. As i ho law now sln tins, it is an incentive to murder. There is no getting away from that fact,