NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 201, 10 September 1903, Page 2

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

Tluvo vva-i r.> at'emoon so<sion of m the Ex-icutive on Wednesday. In the I, evo'ing a mooing v.w held a", the'. Ej.-ou»h o:.'urifl 1 Ohi>mW< iv, when Mr I. E, Dockrili presided. There w*s n : v.-i'y gool attendiiK'-o, :>he ruidrufsfs ( we ! .s n.c-d to wi h tie groat sfc interest a'd at'ei'jtion. In tho ourse of his opening remm kf>, tho Chairman eulogised the work of Uih Ocmcll, whose proceedings he had followed with greas interest for | «omo years pas', and he v.aa 03nvinced , that their efbrts had been, and wculi continue to be produo-ive of the , greatest; good to the community. | Miss Henderson (Secretary of the | Executive), thsn gave an nddress oq | STATE CntLDRES. ' After exp'-dving that by S into chi'd- ; rtn wes me in t ail ckildr.-n under the >-p cisl care of tha Stat*', inc'uding thoso ' ooitded GUI', those in institutions, and ' ob'/se adopted by f st r parent- 1 , it ' was iosiatei that the State should be i model parent to these children under ' i" charge, eo as to fh them to baas ] good and perfect citizens as passible. After considerable fxperieuce as to ' S ate ehUdrrn, the speaker was convinced that radicil reforms were needed. Other countries were ' moving ahead in this matter, and it behoved the Government of this co'oijy fo effect improvements in 'he methods of mmagement of State children. A groitdeal was heard as to deterioration, and this would show ; that a better system should be in force. Miss Henderson explained that at present there were two method* of dealing wich children under the care of the S'ate, they were either boarded out or ssnt to industriil sohools. In the industrial schools there was little, if vny, attempt at classification. As to the boirded out children, they were now sent to a receiving home while awaiting a suitable home, but; previous'y all were a .rot to Burnham until homes wore found. In the maj irity of cises boarding out children wjs not a success, the homes being as a rule very poor and the pay small—about 7s a week, Moreover, a distinction was fr(qu9iitly mide as to these children, who were frequently isolated at meals and avoided by o'her children. Mo3t of them were the children of degenerate pirents, and req tired speoial care and training. These children were generally of stunted growth, but in the Institutions there was very little afct rnpt at system vtic physical training, and it was only quife recently that at Buruham any outdoor gamra were provided fcr the boys. It must ba evident to everyone that the inos l ; careful mor.J training was ne-ded for such children, i At the ago of 14 all stato children, uo nutter what th.ir standard f educaion : was, were ssnb out to service, and wh«n ! out of a place they went to the Industrial Home in the district. Most of . the girls find a situation in a h:mo I where the mother cannot sffjid a servmt but Wints help, and it; is. very | ualikely th.it minyof these mothers cm find tinn to train the helper. A J oase was qjo'ed of a girl sent out t to eervica at the age of 12 and who, ! before attaining the age of 14, had been in six different situations eventually takiug service at a farm and doing heavy and rough ou'sida work, with I the result that she was stunted and , stooping, What was wanted was proper care and superintendence over 1 giils from 14 upward-", an age when ( they needed advice and guidance. Boys , placed out at service had also f r. queutly ' a rough time, the mere fact of their coming from an institution serving to give the boys a bid name and they were frequently compellid to sleep in an r outnous?. For s on time past the 1 Council had been agitating for the ; establishment of cottage homes to hold : at tho m at 12 inmates under the care of r< tattron who would carefully watch ovjr and give the ch ldren a good moral ■ training. There might be a difficulty in getting suitable women as matrons, but there was no reason why suitable women should not be specitliy trained For the purpose. This could be as easily ucjomplishiid as training school teachers. If the woik wero mwle honourable, 'hat is, sufficient im jortmce was attached to it, pU-nty of capable and suitable women would be found ready and willing to be trained for the work, Another matter that required amendment was the Infant Life Protection Act, the administration of which was in the hands of the police. For the mosb part the homes, where these infants (principally illegitimate) were boarded out, were most unsuitable, though the child; en were treated kindly. It w&s contended that the inspection of these homes was properly womens work. Another aspect; of tho case was that these children eventually cvm i bick on the State. With regard to the adoption of children, although the Magistrates were very careful, they were frequently too busy to give that time and attention to the ceaessary icquidfs, and the result wasbgal adoptions were frequently made as tha r-c----sultof private bargains, tho conseque; ce being that tho children wore, if not ill-treated, badly cared for, and their lives made very unhappy, somatimes ic seeming as if the children were biir.g slowly put out of exWttnoo. It was proposed that the care anl control of all " State " children s u ould hi under one authority, Boards being es'ablisbed throughout the colony, co -misting partly of men and partly of women. Another class of children rrquiring tho grevtesfc care was that of the imbecile*. At present nothing was done to attempt '0 train any of these children, he cons?qui;nce bsing they got worse instead of batter. It had been proved that all of such children could ba taught lnndwoi k and became more or less expert. Without such training these children ( .vere a danger to the community. It was also advocated tint where charges wero made against children for other ( thm iodictible offences, the cases should b3 hoard in a room ether than he Polics Oourt-a course which had been found most successful in Sou'.h i Australia. A s'.roog plea was put for-1' wa;d for help in bringing about the!' required reforms. On C3nc!uding Miss j Henderson was loudly appbudud, J, Mrs Atkiuson then giive an addnssjj on If THE HIBHT3 OF Ct.It.DREW IS KKLATIO.V 5 TO THE DRINK THAFFIO. In tha first place lb w s c:nt udel . that the rights of children must b; { fought fir t hit they shujld havi t.;e ; .r ! dim opportunities Tho hVst right was r rhat they should well 8 atis- j tics were quoted to t-hiw th? larg-i v numb r of degenerate «nd s-ill-born i children direc ly t.rtceibl-i to thediitjk J traffic. Alcohol proved a potent f ictor in I spreading consumption. The Laxt right w.is th»t a child should ba barn in proper eurroundicga, and here again the liquor tr.ifEs cut across the right. It was not necessary to have such horrible surroundings as those c<med by J drink, and it was the intention of the ( Council to persevere in their efforts to I

reinuvathe evil. Out of the 1668 ch'Jdlau under tho care of thoStats: his yrar, 1501 were th-re owing t.) the drink 'traffic. The imporunce of scientific nampsrance ins ruction to children in our sch o's was ins's'bd upon, teachers receiving marks for their skill in teaching shia eubj ct. This would give] clvldren a bete- chonce in the labour mark, t, which was (mother of th-i of cbildren. Tho w»y to aituu ■hi righ's advocated wis, said Mis. A'kinsou, to veto "No License," Mrs. Williamson *(Waugauui) said that we did not saem to grasp the fac;. ttiafc the children wjij growiig up every day and going forth into the world—only too fisq iently their course being one of rniscbiof throughout. Sh) believed the Education Department had baen honestly trying to do its duty '.o the children, bufcthi mistake wan that o»:l/ m n w.?ro appointed to do tbu work. When tho tim-j oame hv child roa to go oub into the world, it was ;\ clem world tha' mothers waiited their children to go into, and that was th ■ reason for the Oourcii's work. She ■deprecated fbgging girls at the Home , and p tinted out how they were beiiifj b. ought up without a word of kindness or brightness in their There was a greit need for a bom a for illegiti mate children. The putativj ft hie should, beforehand, be made responsible for exp mses. Is was no'; proposed to relieve mothers from th»ir responsible i.s, bat a home for such children was badly needed, (Applause.) Mrs Si-vwright would like to see another right given to children—the right to know the 1 iws, otherwise why should they ba punished for breaking the law, She had not tha slightest sympathy with tbe agitation for bibleloading in schools. In proposing a hearty vote of thinks to the ladies wh > had re id pipais that evening, Bhe said she felt proud to be a member of a Council with such colleagues. The mitiun was seconded by Mr Maunder, and carried with great ec ehtnation, A voe, of thanks to the chair coneluded the meeting. The Executive will ba enbertainei at a social this evening,