South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2715, 1 December 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1881.

How to deal with cases of desertion of home and family by their legal protectors is a question to which sufficient attention in a practical way has never yet been paid by the Legislative. Time after time the matter has been brought under the notice of the public by the journalist, and constantly recurring cases have demonstrated to the community that the evil exists in colonial society to a most alarming extent. Our Magistrates are almost daily called upon to commit deserted children to the Industrial Schools. Our clergy and the philanthrophic individuals amongst us who go about doing good and seeking out cases of distress and destitution, assure us that in every town in the colony there are scores of mothers bravely and sadly—and with of course but partial success—striving to eke out, at the needle or the washtub or by charing, a scanty livelihood for the poor little creatures whom they have borne, while the father to whom nature bids them look for support is leading a vagabond life in another colony, and contributing not a stiver to their maintenance. The result is of a nature to justify the gravest apprehension as to the morals of the next generation, and to call for the utmost severity of punishment upon the offenders. The increase in the number of such cases is out of all proportion, not merely to the extent of the population, but also to the conditions of life in the colonies. For in spite of the frequent occurrence of hard times and the somewhat precarious tenure of employment in the colonies, there is really no doubt whatever that a prudent, thrifty, and industrious man always make his way, unless, of course, his case is in some special respects exceptional. Some men are utterly destitute of fortitude and manliness, that at the first indication of anything like bad times, they straightway surrender themselves to despair, betake themselves Lj drink, and generally conduct themselves like fools and cowards. The weaker ones who are dependent upon them cannot run to excess like this, but must

through all changes “ stick to the ship,” and their distress is enhanced by the pitiable and criminal weakness of him who should be their comfort and stay. After thus making everybody wretched for a season, the miserable hound shoulders his swag, after raising all the money he can, casts off his responsibilities, and airily passes away to another colony. The deserted wife does her best and nerves herself for the dreary round of hard labor that must be her lot to the end. No matter how hard she works for her children she can do no more than keep bread in their mouths ; single-handed she cannot control them as children need to be controlled, and morally they run riot. Besides, in their father they have seen exhibited wanton and careless disregard of the ties that men should hold most sacred, and who shall predict whether they will not “ better the example.” Who is to predict for them lives of industry and regard for social duties and responsibilities. Our Industrial Schools and Reformatories are all too numerous and crowded to excess—-and our towns are full of miserable homes and wretched families—and our population does not reach a million ! It is easy to follow these interesting vagabonds in their wanderings. Off to Sydney, Melbourne, or wherever fancy leads ! They find work in all probability, and they have no longer a home to maintain or others to support, and possibly after a few very faint qualms of conscience they dismiss the unpleasant subject from their minds. Man finds he can not live alone, however, and if our hero does’nt like to risk bigamy he has no scruple in forming an unlawful tie with some creature as depraved as himself. This is an ofttold story, as every reader well knows. Now among the subjects to which the attention of legislators is directed, and which call for Intercolonial Conferences, surely this crying evil should be regarded as holding a prominent position. It is surely possible to establish an understanding between the different colonies on a matter in which all are interested in an equal degree. The cumbrous, expensive, and tardy .process now in use for the apprehension of offenders should give place to a simpler one. The offenders should be handed back to their original starting place without delay, and we would advocate their being, on arrival, treated with the utmost severity, until the evil shall have somewhat abated. The same drastic treatment which was so efficacious in the case of garotte robberies in England some years ago, would be at least as effectual if applied to the blacker crime of desertion of offspring.