A WORD TO MOTHERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 89

A WORD TO MOTHERS.

LADY PLUNK WS FAREWELL M r:SSAGE. (Feom Oub Own Cobrespondent.) AUCKLAND, August 27. Tn addressing the Mothers' Union at St. Matthew's Church last evening, her Excellency Lady Plunket' said that as this was the- last time she would address mothers, in Auckland, at all. events, she would mention one or two things fhe would like the Mothers' Union to remember. She would like the mothers of New Zealand to show strongly their feelings against neelect of or cruelty to infants. In Nev. Zealand there was not a great deal of cruelty in actual amount, but considering the size and population of the country there was a good deal of it. Public oninion was the only thing that would stamp out this cruelty or neglect, for it was more neglect than actual beatings or that sort of thing. Rather than have indifference to the sufferings of children, she would have a state of society in which a m;m guilty of such cruelty woukl be in danger of being lynched. In one part of New Zealand, her Excellency said, she had met a good mother who had a sickly child which demanded all her attention. This woman said people had told her to let the child die; it was not worth while rearing it When people could say that, was not public opinion very slack ? Another thing to be guarded against was the disposition of people to pass over the faults of children, saying. " Tt will be knocked out of them at* school " It was not fair to encourage a fault which one hoped would be afterwaids knockpd out of the child. Tt reniinr*?d her of a woman she had once heard reproved by a doctor for allowing h#r child to suck silver. The woman turned round and smacked the child.

It was the same in many other ways.' G-irls weie allowed to get beyond control, and perhaps ran into danger and difficulties. Then their parents turned upon them *and abused them. There was a law in China long ago under which, if a young man committed a crime, his father was hung for it, T)ecause it was considered parents were responsible for their sons and daughters. "We mothers bring up the children,, and are to blame if they go wrong and turn- out bad men and women," said her Excellency in conclusion.