The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1909-04-17 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

POLICE COURT MISSION  11,01311T.F01L MAR.QII, 1909.  • ThWtetal -windier of-our dock eases *for March is 174 as against 245 for the cor-,J reaPaiidiat month' 190. Our drunk cases ,arekoonsi erably. reduced. List year they Wardle!), hut' this year they are only 119. Oh the lZth.of.thp month the dock cases were nil, and ,had it not been that we had a fele summons oases the hope expressed fait month would have been fulfilled,. and. %the white gloves of 1905 repeated; On , the 13th we had only one case of soliciting,' *and the ,poor woman little- knew how ardently.we wished she had not been there. ' I have dealt with 14 out of works, 3 magisterial, .14.,probation, 7. institutional, and 14 juvenile *as, many of these last being included in the probationers. The inter'views 'hare been numerous, Viz., 312, and :I trust much good has been done bys little timely advice and good cheer. One of the out of works is an old reformatory boy who %alike several of the others, happily. tonsil work at once. He is a bright lad 18; 'end it the brother of one of the 'C.Anirt's yew* probationers,- who also is. deing remarkably well. Work has been so slack that I have experienced almost greater difficulty during March of getting work than any month since my work began here it has troubled me much, and all_l could downs to cheer my friends up .iintit ancesia-comes. Alas lad .who•ia an 'orphan applied for help, and said he had htled•rivilig-Wiet-telatires who -did nos dtiat 'him ]now-thit 'he Was out of Work. At tlia"Vdttrt We lcifewl one or tiro meinhers of the family with whom he has been :staying, and I decided at once to send .hipp, to. the . Great George Square Homer Liverpool, where he will have every. eon. siderationArem Mr. Tizzell, the master, a ehance-be given him to make some'thing worthy:of -his life. A girl—an. old .easii of ouns-:called also, -and at. her own request Was sent to St.. Margaret's Home, Rock Feity:-Ifitherth her mode of exist; lance. has been, very on.satisfacthri—not I-vioious, _but. *irk -the hind of life to, load „Anything, and it, was with a souse of :relief to-use that she saw,thetneecl of entaring upon 'an orderly ,mode of living, 'andlie trained:4er bettor things. One of the probation eases has' also been kindly received into 'the same Home for' service. Some few Months since we had a very bad 'aisaiLlt..case, and unfortunately 'the aggressor Was one of our ei-Officers. The man ,injured as an elderly man of over 60, and I am mere than glad to report that he has _found: a very' happy refuge' and home -at St: -Blisabeth's Clanghton-road. -He will 'never be able to do any real hard work aghin. He. visits me- from time to ]tinie, and speaks moat gratefully of' God's Lonchteas to hifti in 'the groat kindness of the, Siat,ers at tlio.lfoine. We have had one disappointing case; 'A 'young woman charged with dropketuiesi, and attempted suicide, and discharged to go into a Home. She was taken to Falkner-streeti Liverpool,- but 'the Matron -telephoned -the lowing day to say she would not remain, and no persuasion on- our part could alter her determination: It is only an exemplification of-the-old prorerb that you may lead a tfie water; but you cannot make him • drink. None of these poor people need go down or be kept down if they had the will. to accept the help provided•for them in -almost•every shape cud feria: ' It may Mean,"and rightly so ailittle but: by discipline and training for a 'while,but.-hy these things mien and women are made. - Homely, I wish that all our young prospective fathers and mothers could have some such training as is given in our public institutions. We should ] have different homes, A hit of a girl with quite a baby face came to me seine time 'SUR* With 2; baby in ber arras. She is one , *of' my aid petty Jaroeny cases. Only yesterday, as. it were, she was a child at 'school, and now, if you please, she is a wife and a meter. • She is 17 years of • age, and her husband a little older. I had ]to' make the peace between 'them. Only a few days. ago she appeared on his behalf When. he was charged by summons for drunkenness. A fine was imposed, and that will have to be paid, although :they are sometimes practically destitutet and -need assistance. I would not lightlyseparate husband and wife' but it Would be a-geocl thing for themselves and the, community to separate them for two or' three years, and place them in establishments where they 'would learn the art of self control, and of living to each other's mutual benefit, and that of the public. What chance will the children have of such a union if things go on as they have begun, and tmfortanicti* it. is only a sample -dilbe. • It heel- long-been in my mind t if. •we -could find a sufficient number of,: 'lethal to 'take charge ofthe poor distrietic misliy_feiftikeVindec her. 'ease „as , the could, manage, and visit lasfhsdioally -so much 'could -be done in a, :gracioas'wey bl how thesei poor peoplo_ the more excellent .wai, At the heart of them it is not charity they desire in the.., way of doles. It m.ay seem so at first, bet they would soon reveal that they esteemed' the kindly presenoe.of a aympathatic friend 'very- ran-me-than any-gifts. Show them how. to make their little hornet beatitiful-and atilietive, And bow to hal* each other and love each other in the' radiant lovi .0190 d :which fills the use. verse. It is all round about them,. and. . ...... •. . • - •  some of)it is within, but like the Ethiopian Eunoch they need .someone to guide them to the light of the Cross and of the crown of Christ in practical beneficence. Spring though it be, these fields are white unto the harvest, and such a harvest of love and gratitude to those who are meek and lowly and wise enough to reap them. Really there is no humiliation in turning up one's sleeves to make a pudding or a poultice or doing any other thing as need may be, but rather great honour and blessing. He that would be great let him be as the servant of all. God's Righteous Servant said so, and He knew for He made Lord of us all.  . . -4' '4l