DIRT AND DEPRAVITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 295, 22 May 1915, Page 7

DIRT AND DEPRAVITY.

DISGUSTING DISCLOSURES. An appalling story of the squalor and immorality in which a Waikato family has been living was told to Mr. Rawsoii, S.M., at Hamilton on Tuesday, whe.i Samuel Temple was culled upon to show cause why three children, Samuel, -Alary, and Edwin, aged 15, 14, and fo.ir respectively, should not be removed to an industrial home.

The police evidence showed that the family lived at Kihikihi. When the police visited the house they heard the father and children using language of an utterly disgusting nature, which the witnesses described as more obscene than anything they had ever heard. They doubted if worse could issue from the mouths of the lowest criminals or prostitutes. The interior of the house was in an appalling state of filth, being begrimed with dirt. The iloors Were caked, while the bedclothes were black and gave oil' an oll'ensivc odor. All the children were ill-fed and ill-clothed, and they lived in an atmosphere of immorality. The eldest girl, aged l(i, had a short time before given birth to a child, and made a written statement incriminating her father, who was charged with incest, but when the case came on sin.' went back on her statement, and the charge was withdrawn. The eldest hoy showed remarkable genius as an artist. The mother was decididly weak-mind 'd. The parents were certainly not fit and proper persons to have charge of the children.

The Magistrate made an order for tli'. commitment of tlic children to indus trial schools, and the father was order ed to pay 5s per week for eaeii for main tenaiiee.