Destitute Children.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXIV, Issue 3752, 8 April 1908, Page 2

Destitute Children.

By Telegraph.—Press Association Dunedin, Last Night.

A deputaion from the Charitable Aid Board waited on the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister for Education, with reference to the question of assisting denominational bodies in the maintenance of destitute children. Mr Stevenson said that the Board had received an application from the Anglican Church for assistance in support of the destitute children under its control, and had been legally advised that they could not render help in the way asked. The Board was not satisfied seeing that the two schools controlled by Catholics were receiving assistance from the Board amounting practically to ,£IOOO a year. What they wanted was that all denominational schools should be put on the same basis as the St. Vincent Do Paul institution in South Dunedin or St. Mary's in Nelson. The Minister said it had been the policy of the Government for many years past not to consent to the recognition of any more private industrial schools. They should be directly controlled by the Government, but when the Act was passed there were many industrial schools operated by the Roman Catholic Church, and as considerable expense had been incurred in their building and equipment, Parlaiment recognised that it would not be fair to interfere with them. No more private industrial schools would be recognised. Children, belonging to any denomination which had an orphanage or institution could be sent to such a place by arrangement of the Board and paid for in the same way as they were paid for at the Government schools. According to the Act, he presumed the Board were at liberty to make contracts with any of the institutions for the care of the children. The Board could either do that, takeover an existing institution or establish such an institution.