The Southland Times. MONDAY, 18th MAT, 1868.

Southland Times, Issue 953, 18 May 1868, Page 2

The Southland Times. MONDAY, 18th MAT, 1868.

In a recent issue reference was made to the efforts of the Ladies' Benevolent Society, as shown by their report, bringing to light a fact relative to existing destitution in Invercargill, which, in this community — with remunerative employment easily obtainable — might have reasonably been doubted. The existing distress, vouched, and also accounted for by the report, presents, as the chief feature of interest, a question for grave consideration — " "What may be reasonably expected as the ultimate effect of this distress on the future career of the young, now the subjects of it ?" This question 3 and the inevitable answer thereto, have already received attention ; and the idea has been suggested of establishing a Reformatory or Industrial School for this class of outcasts. The report by the Commissioner of Police, being more full and explicit than that of the Ladies' Benevolent Society, deals minutely with individual cases. It traces the evil to its source, and furnishes a very strong argument for the present adoption of some method by which already erring youth may be reclaimed, and. those.. of. whpm it can but as yet be said that they are the children of misfortune, may be prevented from becoming the scourges of, and preying upon, the community. Among the most important and effective agencies for preventing the spread of crime among the juvenile population may be reckoned the establishment of " Reformatories and certified Industrial Schools." The beneficial effects of these establishments, as well as their necessity, are, as a matter oi course, more evidently marked among a large population, in which the dangers oi association, as well as the facilities for crime, are more numerous than in a small one. Between a large and small community, however, the difference either in advantage or necessity is simply one oi degree, and if it can be shown that in anj/ place peculiar circumstances exist, the natural tendency of which is to produce and develop crime, then it follows that these circumstances demand the speedy adoption of a remedy. No mental oi bodily effort can be more truly valuable than that which directs itself to the discovery and employment of such a remedy. In many of the large towns of the United Kingdom there are large numbers of children under fourteen years of age, in a state of vagrancy, and its usual accompaniments, the parents of whom have the means within their power properly to maintain and educate them, but who unhappily lack the moral principle to do so. Poi such children as these the Industrial Schools are designed. Having attracted the notice of the police, although they may not have committed any crime beyond the vagrancy or vagabondage which the law of the land recognizes as such, these juveniles may be sentenced by a magistrate to be sent to an Industrial School, and while there the parents may be compelled to contribute towards their maintenance. It is by no means probable that there are many parents of the class just referred to among ourselves, but that there are some is beyond doubt. The certainty that such is the case may be proved by reference to the cases of parents, who are now undergoing punishment, and whose families are destitute and would perish but for the efforts of benevolence. In most if hot all of these cases the heads of these families might have honestly earned sufficient to maintain their dependants in comfort and respectability. "While the fact may seem to argue that there is no obligation resting upon the community to take upon itself the duty of individuals, it must be remembered that we have to deal with the evil caused by this want of moral principle, and which is continually extending. Looked at in this light, the fact is a strong^argument for the establishment of an institution of the kind we are advocating, and al3o for the carrying out of the principle of compulsory maintenance of children there by those whose duty it is to maintain, tend; and train them at home, but who refuse, or neglect to do their duty. Some few instances will at once rise to the minds of those who read . what we now write, of children, who, from' this very cause, are among us, left neglected an&uncared for, and who, in consequence, are now wandering in a

1 state of lawlessness and vagrancy, of which the result is not difficult to foresee. The other class of schools in the old country, called " Eeformatory," is, as ' its nature imports, specially intended for juvenile criminals. To these schools a magistrate Las power to send a child con- ! vieted of isrime, instead of sending him f to : l-i 3n. The necessity with us for an iiioL.tution of this latteii class does:notaf>£ j pear so urgent as that for an industrial 5 school or home. The maintenance of two distinct establishments, having the same ! avowed objects and differing only as to the class of subjects who should be the receipients of their advantages, would entail greater expense than the circumstances of the necessity warrant. All the purposes of our need may be answered \ ' j without the danger of associating * I innocence with crime or of affixing a ' , stigma on those who were but un- " fortunately destitute, by one establishment ' on the separate ward system, with ju--5 dicious classification. By these preventive agencies numbers of children ' have unquestionably been saved from being > swept into the vortex of crime. That something of this kind must be done here and done without delay admits of no * denial. It is conceded that, happily, convictions for crime among the juvenile population of the city are but occasional ' occurences. On the other hand it must ' be admitted that there is a frequent com- } mission of depredations by our wandering 1 youth, who are yet suffered to pass un--1 punished, which proves the existence of 3 an evil tendency, unrestrained by paternal | or guardian influence, and which will probably find its development in serious crime. ,