OVERWORKED CHILDREN.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1921, Page 5

OVERWORKED CHILDREN.

FATHER SENT TO GAOL. ONE MONTH’S IMPRISONMENT. John William Clark, a dairy farmer, of Halswell, was at Christchurch recently sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for cruelly ill-treating a child. The defendant was before the Court on this charge in February, and was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, and his children were taken from him. They were restored to him in April, and the homo was kept under surveillance.

Tn evidence, Sister Edith Watson said she received a complaint on August 31 that the girl Nita was milking cows night and morning. On September 1 witness visited defendant’s farm at 4.30 p.m. and found Nita at the bails tying up a cow. The child said she had been milking cows every day, night and morning, for three weeks, with the exception of one day. Witness waited until Clark arrived at half-past five. Witness asked, him why he did not have help in the house. He said he was sick of having people about the house. Witness then asked who was doing the work about the house, and he said, “Mrs. Clark does not do very much. We all ddMt.” His tone seemed to indicate indifference, so witness said, ‘‘Do you know that your wife is a dying woman? I do not think you care two straws.” He then became somewhat indignant. Mrs. Clark had asked witness to speak to her husband about obtaining help in the house, but not to let him know that she had said so, because he would kill her if he knew. The children had always been poorly clad, and thinking Clark was in financial difficulties, witness got a few things for them. The mother was too ill to look after the children, and one of them was suffering very badly from inflammation of the eyes.' It was evident that practically everything in the house was done by the children, because Clark, was incapable of doing much himself. The magistrate said the two elder girls, one 11 years of age, and the other IS, had been worked on the farm from about 5.30 a.m. until 10 p.m. each day. When one girl fell asleep at the milking bails, her father struck her on the head with a stick. To call on a. girl of 13 to milk 10 cows every night and morning, in addition to going to school and helping in the house, was altogether beyond the strength of the girl. Clark would be sentenced to one month’s imprisonment.