JUVENILE IMMORALITY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9160, 6 August 1908, Page 4

JUVENILE IMMORALITY.

The "New Zealand Times," a payer that is boldly and capably edited, hug been probing into the question of juvenile immorality, and if the statements that have been made to one of its representatives are true-and those who have made them are people aware of their responsibilities, and in a position to speak authoritatively—prompt remedial measures are necessary in view of the aiarming and horrifying facti revealed. The "Times," referring to its article, remarks in its issue of yesterday:—"The interviews which we publish to-day on the question of juvenile immorality will be a revelation to many. It is horrible to sucl • denly realise that in a community like this, where all things seem so passing fair, the canker of immorality is eating the heartstrings of the people. Of morali.-ts we have many, of spiritual teachers not a few, but seemingly they have lost authority. No longer are their promises and threats of the least avail. We, as a people, are becoming undisciplined, careless, loose. The idealism of the home life is vanishing; our rich people are utterly frivolous; our poor people seek but the pleasures of the day, unmindful of higher duties and responsibilities. Children no longer rever their parents or their teachers; the Spartan mother has given place to the weakling who has no authority over her male or \ female offspring; and the father of the family dare not fling the first stone! Our streets and bookstalls

are flooded with infamous literature; children sell the beastly wares, of decadent journalism openly in the streets, and a certain class of chemists carry on a sordid, traffic in illicit goods. Parliament does not interfere; the clergy are very busy looking after politics and pony racing; and a large body of respectable public opinion is unaware of what is going on. Some are innocent; others are self-absorbed; and a great many have learned the Japanese proverb that "the mouth is the front gate of all misfortune." We wish we could discount the doctors, the magistrates, and the other authorities. We wish we could tell them pat, "We don't believe you!" As we cannot we simply print the evidence so that "he who runs may read," and in the hope that the warning will not have come too late."