The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1884.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4680, 7 January 1884, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1884.

We hare had cficaiiion in previous issues to refer to—not only'^*the edocation of the rising generation, and the gi-oss oarelesßness shown by those who are responsible for the moral teaching of their children; but the necessity of steps being taken for an efficient saperyision being eserciged over the young ones. Throughout New J3ealandrr-froin time to time—children here been made a me/Jinm of profit in the way of utilising them fo^ t&eatrical performances, and owing doubtless to the small expense attached to their employment in main* tenanee and wages, and the encouragement giveji— 'We, with pleasure, hope—by only a email section of the community, in the way of atiendaaee, this glaring evil has grown to certain proportions, aud it would be ac well yrero it (l nipped in the bud" ere it assumes larger dimensions. We have lately learnt that a company of juveniles were engaged in Australia for a tour through the colonies; this gathering consisted of children, most of them girls, whose ages ranged from ten to fifteen years. Even if the tpwr }iad been limited to the eoj.oaj.es, it would seem somewhat questionable dig-. cretion on the pnrt «4? parents to allow their little ones hundreds of Hitler away from their homes without parental control,

giving children innumerable opportunities pf enlarging any questionable propensities they might hare, and of contracting undesirable habits resulting from association with evilly disposed or badly brought up juveniles with which they would be thrown in contact. But this enterprising manager was not very particular as to the field of his labours ; he managed to bring his company of little ones to the northernmost shore of the Australian continent, and then without obtaining the consent of the parents, and against the wishes of many of the children, he shipped bis youthful cargo to India, and shortly afterwards wo read of the man's death there. What, we ask, can be the feelings of the many parents whose little ones, mayhap, are now endeavoring to earn a ! living, or may heave been released from struggling by early death. It may be — although there is no record of it—that some enterprising manager, or one of the grown up members of his troupe, has taken the "show " up, and is carrying it on, and very likely when he has " run " the performances as long as they will pay, he will return to their respective homes the human means he has used, but we fear that even if such good fortune should befall the youthful travellers, the ac- | companiments of travel uncontrolled, i in such a climate, and without parental supervision, will have proved anything but beneficial to the chil-« dren, more especially to the feminine portion of the troupe. We do not for a moment desire to insinuate that other persons travelling with juvenile " shows " are to be placed on the same scale as an unprincipled man who would take advantage of children, and in direct opposition to their wishes, and without consent from their parents, remove them to a long dis> tance; but we cannot help deprecating public encouragement of juvenile performances. The colonial boy and girl are quite precocious enough, and require no addition to their assurance or confidence ; and when an age of discretion is reached by them, when they are competent to withstand the temptations which are likely to beset them, then it is time enough to allow them to follow their own sweet will, and the bent of any inclinations, theatrically or otherwise, which may grow in them.