Children From Britain

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 487, 22 October 1948, Page 5

Children From Britain

T is clear that there is still’some doubt in the public mind about the implications of the child migration scheme from the United Kingdom. The interviews reported on pages 6 and 7 of this issue suggest that, if there is no real opposition to the scheme, there is a desire for more information, and that even where interest has been aroused, few decisions have been made that will start children on their way to New Zealand. In itself that is not disturbing. But it will be unfortunate if the desire for fuller information settles at last into an excuse for doing nothing at all. Most of the questions put to our investigators were natural and reasonable questions which it would be foolish just to brush aside. But there is one strong answer to them all. New Zealand needs more children, and many thousands of children in Great Britain need a better chance in life than Britain can at present offer them. If they are difficult children, most of them will cease to be difficult when they find themselves in a new country with new and exciting experiences. If their parents are irresponsible, that is a very good reason why they themselves should get another chance. New Zealand has room for them, health and happiness for them in at least nine cases in ten; and the tenth will often surprise us pleasantly too. But they can’t come unless we show that we want them, and if we think that we are too old or too poor or too crowded or too complicated to answer their call-as some of us in fact arewe should ask ourselves a question or two before we close our ears, It is proper to ask the questions about them that most of us are asking; but they arise only when we have put some questions to ourselves-beginning with this: In what other country to-day in the civilised world is there so wide a margin of ease and plenty?