THE REARING OF FAMILIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1922, Page 2

THE REARING OF FAMILIES.

(To the Editor.) Sir. —As a constant reader of your paper. I recently saw a reference to a debate in the House anent assisting people with large families, a condition of things which at the present time is rare. 1 would like to offer my opinion on the subject. I am the wife of a working man and have reared eight of a fatmily, six girls and two boys, and I am now a grandmother. I am always too ready and willing to help a mother with young children,, and there are very few people who are not. But, to give them State aid or organise a system of giving would mean ruination to both parents and children. My own experience is that I had to make £5 go as far as £lO would, and a big struggle it was, but I would not have missed any of those hardships, for I consider each one made me a better woman. I never in my life gave a child a 6d with which to buy lollies, and I can see every day school children mostly of the poorest class with a bag of lollies .that cannot cost less than a Gd or Is more than once a day. I am speaking, of course, in general terms/ Should the mother of those children by any means happen to get £ 1 or £2 extra the first thing she does is to buy a box of Some kind of cosmetics, which must cost at least 3s or 3s 6d and. take the kids, as she- says, to the pictures. As for the father, well, very few of them accept any responsibility, and to relieve them of the little they have it would make them helplegs creatures indeed No, Mr. Editor,.! would be sorry to see the day that they get more help than at present. Humanly speaking, we are a kind-hearted people, but there Is a true saying, “Give me a life and you’ll get me to carry.” Now, that is the position those people would be in. I have four daughters rearing families, and 1 would not like the State to rear their families, or even help them, for it would naturally make them dilitory, and tend to belittle the God-given powers that have been so generously. bestowed, on all of us. No, Mr. Editor, we are too indolent as it is. What is it that gives Scotland the hardy sons and daughters they possess? Nothing but the strenuous way they, were reared. I am Scotch, but have been here somewhere in the vicinity of 30 years.— I am, etc., A. MOTHER. Douglas, August 9. [Such women as the above have largely made the British Empire and this Dominion what they are. If the younger people were possessed of the same spirit all would be well with New Zealand.—Ed.]