HOW THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS ARE FILLED.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2378, 30 October 1880, Page 4

HOW THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS ARE FILLED.

Another of the too common cases of child desertion came before the Justices at the Dunedin Police Court on Thursday. The facts were of the ordinary kind. A child, aged 10 months, named Annie Crawford, was given by its mother to the care of a Mrs West, and contributions Averc paid toAvards its support for some time, and then the child’s mother left Dunedin. Mrs West informed the Court that she was unable to keep the child, and Mr Commissioner Weldon said that he was placed in a very diflicult position. In one case the woman who had charge of a child threatened to leave it on the streets unless it Avas taken from her, and in these cases he could do nothing but bring them before the Bench and ask that the children be sent to the Industrial School, although that institution was overcroAvded. The Bench committed the child to the Industrial School for seven years, to be brought up in the Church of England faith. Mr Weldon said that the police would endeavour to find the mother of the child and compel her to contribute to its support. He also said that there had been three of these cases dealt Avith Avithiu the last three Aveeks, and that another one Avas pending and must come before the Court unless the mother of the child could be found.