Children Exploited There will be much sympathy with the {dea behind the building of a beggary camp in Shanghai, a description of "which appears elsewhere in today's issue: but there would bbe far more, if the authorities Who are under faking this necessary charitable work were to make some satement on the plang they have trade {0 prevent the exploitation of children his bougar "racket." It would seem to, be essential that some different methods in dealing, With the beggar children will have to be evolved, They cannot be left at the merey. those who formerly made a contemptible living out of leaving them, stimuli. for "compassion. Shivering at street corners, and afterwards plundering them of what those anxious to save them from their obvious misery may care 0 contribute. Children being exploited in industry fare fo some extent looked after; but thos most of them far too young to know what is being done to them and too often inured to suffering before they are able properly to walk, who are a source of Income to the rit-raf of this city. attract the attention of the authorities only when they are so cruelly used that some~ 2'to be done about it, In making this should be emphasized that it does who have so. many'
fon their hands that they roust ake them inthe order of which they appear to have elation to the general welfare of the com= munity. Nor is there any attempt to belittle the elfarty of the Salvation Army, the Rotary Club. and the Shanghai Munteipal Council in coping with the larger question of disposal of the beggar problem and. the prevention of starvation and. death from cold within the limited range which is available (0 them. Tt simply an attempt {0 stress a point of view. that the salvation of the children. should om first. Statistics provided by the Shanghai Publ Benevolent Cemetery. whose good work. in disposing of the bodies of the destitute picked up on Shanghai's street cannot be too highly praised, prove grim reading. During the summer months there are more deaths among the poo! than during the winter, these figures. show: This is' principally. due' to the prevalence. of summer diseases and the ignorance masses in coping With them. But during the cold sveather. the deaths are principally.
under-nourishment. and exposure. "Only prolonged campaign of health education eaukt Possibly meet the demands of the summer months, and this, as anyone who is aod with the betar' question here understands, 15 Well nigh a hopeless task. "But expostire and Uunder-nourishment are. things which can. be Femedied, provided the community is prepared delve into its pockets to do 60. And the extent of the generosity of the Shanghai publi which is not questioned—ean be gaued the number of persons who exist upon it. the number of professional beggars. This charity, tinder proper direction, would dispose of much
ume. time diminish the st eat tol the gear nuianes in Shanghai and at the From December 1 to 14 this year, there were 308 adult bodies picked off the streets for burial bby the Benevolent Cemetery: during the same Period, there were 691 children's bodies picked up. From July. the same organi read: 2.908 adult children's bodies. These' tures themselves,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.