YOUTHFUL IMMORALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1918, Page 7

YOUTHFUL IMMORALITY.

PRESENT-DAY CONDITIONS.

SCHOOL AND HOME TRAINING.

A strong indjctjnent of conditions existent among the : boys and/girls of the community, and of a great defect in the Dominion's criminal Taw 1 was voiced on Wednesday at AucklarietTby several speakers at the St. Mary's" Homo annual meeting. The subject was "introduced in the annual report, in which Archdeacon MaeMurray stated that the-number of applications from girls for admission, and the youth of those applying, were very alarming symptons of. the times. There had been cases where children of 13 had come to the home as expectant | mothers.

Speaking upon this point Miss Hancock, superintendent, said: "Again, I wish to draw attention to that iniquitous clause in our criminal law, under which a man guilty of an offence Against ft girl under 16 escapes scot prosecuted within six months after his ohence. Often the crime is hidden until after that, the unfortunate child being impelled by shame from even telling her parents what has happened. Within the last 10 years no fewer than 30 girls under 10 years of age have become mothers at the home, and in only one case have we been able to secure a conviction against the man!" At present, the speaker continued, there were 36 girls in the home, nearly all between IS and 20 years of age, and quite half of them below the average of ordinary intelligence and capability "That means that lb ere are 36 boys responsible for all'this &bame and degradation, who have been just as foolish, who stand just as much in need of education and guidance as these poor girls, but they go untouched by the fires of shames and rebuke. We badly need a man's committee to take up work among the boys, and teach them the lessons of purity and chastity we are trying to teach the girls." "It is ignorance and utter thoughtlessness that have brought about this condition among our young people," said Mrs Kenneth Mackenzie, "and, above all, the failure of mothers to train growing girl% and boys as they should be trained. Most of these erring children simply have not been taught the first thing about the essential facts of life; mothers either cannot or will not instruct them. Prudery is no fit preparations for the temptations of the life of to-day, and its dangers and pitfalls must be pointed out to be recognised." Bishop Averill also spoke of the urgent need for enlightenment and training among the young. "It is not only the conditions of the ihome, however, that should be improved, but that of school life," he said. "This is one of the worst sources of immorality at the present time. In the course of my travels in the country I have been made aware of conditions so shocking that if one dared to stand up and proclaim them the public would absolutely rebel and cry. 'These things must not be.' However, this is not a matter that our Government cares to interest itself in, although if there were onlv even a little religious training in the schools, it would give the teachers some ground upon which to appeal to the children under their care."