CHILDREN’S DISTRESS.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 September 1922, Page 2

CHILDREN’S DISTRESS.

LIVING IN SOD HOUSE. A CHRISTCHURCH CASE. At the Christchurch Juvenile Court six children, whose ages range from two to eight years, were charged with not being under proper control. The mother appeared in Court. Constable J. F. Lamb, of Culverden, said that the children had been left to look after themselves. The father had left the district to go to some job, and the mother had been taken to a maternity hospital. There had been no money left to provide for the children. The house in which the family had been living was an old sod one, unfit for habitation. The windows Were broken, and the place was just on the verge of tumbling down. He understood that the family had lived in the place about two years. The children were not at all well looked after until taken care of by a neighbor. The Magistrate (Mr. H. Y. Widdowson): Do you mean to say that the mother left them there? Constable Lamb: The mother was taken to a maternity hospital. Sub-Inspector J. K. Simpson: Had you any occasion to speak to the father about his children ?—The father had left the district. Constable Lamb said that he had heard on good authority that the father had been communicated with, but that he did not reply. A neighbor had to put her own children out of the house in order to look after the others. The source of complaint was that the father had left no money. The mother and children had been living practically on the charity of the residents of the place for some time. The storekeeper supplied goods simply becouse he did not want to see the children and mother starve. Mr. Tracey: Did not your fellow constable at the next town tell you that he had wired £5? —No. Mr. Tracey: Do you not know that their only crime was poverty?—lt was not poverty altogether. The mother was about to give evidence, but owing to the stand the defence was taking the application of SubInspector Simpson for an adjournment to get more evidence was granted.