Widnes Examiner. — 1891-12-26 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

BUTLER,  THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN. Sir,—A meeting was held in the Town Hall, on Wednesday, the 9th inst, called together by circular and announcement from the pulpits, to discuss the advisability of forming a branch of the above-named good Society, for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children., and in order to add another detective to the forces of law and order that exist to grapple with the evils of drink, selfishness, and insurance money, which appear to defy the efforts of Christian men and women, of schools, churches, and charity organisations, so numerous in our town. It is most humilating to witness the necessity of such a meeting of clergy and leading townsmen,unanimous in the conviction that it requires this Society to come to the rescue ofilittle children of all classes alike, whether rich or poor. The objects and motives of these cruelties appear to be chiefly due to the saving or the making of money, and not so much to passion or wanton neglect. The rev. gentleman (Mr. Waugh), in his answers tl my questions as to the number of cases of starvation and murders committed in order to obtain insurance money, was very vague, and was not reliable in his information, inasmuch as the 1,276 or 12,076 cases, he is reported to have stated, cannot all be laid at the doors of insurance companies and societies, unless he can prove the children to have been murdered entirely to get the insurance money. I think the statement he has made is a very serious one, for insurance men to reflect upon. He replied, that in twelve months, he may come again to surprise us with a report of his detective, who will ' be commissioned to unravel the "insurance horrors" of our town. I will promise him a most difficult task in finding out conspiracies, connivances, and secrecies always found among the insuring public. I was glad to find the rev, gentleman is no respecter of persons, although, he, like General Booth, appeals to the rich., for ,(as he said at the meeting) " those thundering big figures." I doubt not he respects the decent artisan and his wife, and the devoted mothers of well cared-for children, and would not think £6 too much to decently inter any child. The rev, gentleman's reply was reported as 12,076 cases of starvation, triceable to insurance, while another states 1,276 cases a difference of 10,800. I really wonder which was right. lam sure oi4e reporter made a great mistake in stating that I was satisfied with the answers given ; I never did say that they were satisfactory. If the rev, gentleman's observations are so keen as only to see the little children suffer, and not the aged and feeble, in a like position, who are more the objects of higher speculation than puny children, who are protected by law and limited to small sums, then, I say, if a society like this; is demanded for the young, I would suggest that something be done for the old, and, if the rev, gentleman will not do it, I hope a small committee, or band of Christian men may be formed in every town each to act the part of detective, in his spare moments and to go behind the scenes, and note the abuses which exist, such information to be used at the proper time. I believe such a movement will be a healthy check on speculation on human life, and instead of being an hindrance to the honest insurance offices, superintendents and agents, it would help them to get honest contracts, and purge forgers from insurance business.— Yours, &c.