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then it becomes a very important member of the community, 
especially in the limits of its own interests. 
I take it, and I may say it is a matter of conviction, that 
the most valuable asset that any nation can have is a large 
army of healthy children, who shall take the places of those 
who have gone. It does not pay to have them die from a 
national point of view. The more people we can have in 
any civilised community it is better for the community and 
the world at large. With regard to the training of children, 
a good many of our methods are altogether wrong. A race 
of people has been spoken of who are privileged and in com- 
fortable circumstances, but to deal with a question of this 
kind, we have to come to where the bulk of the population 
is. We are bound to remember that the greater part of the 
children of this land belong to the working classes and it is 
amongst these we have the problems furnished for our con- 
sideration. 
We are all thankful for what has already been done for the 
protection of children by the legislature, but it only goes 
to show that we can go a great deal further. No one, I am 
sure, will pretend that we have reached finality in matters 
of this description. The law can step in between a father 
and his child and protect the child and no doubt we are 
feeling our way towards a higher state of things. Coming 
to the question of cleanliness, I regard it as more important 
than hunger. We can easily give a child what is called 
“ a good feed ” if we can get at it, but how are we going to 
keep that child clean. I want the Children’s Charter carried 
so much further that before very long there shall be power 
placed in the hands of the community that shall compel 
parents to keep their dwelling houses clean and along with 
them, their children. This question is never brought to the 
front unless those children are alive with vermin and the 
parents are summoned before the magistrates for cruelty. 
Unless we can get a law to compel parents to keep their 
children clean I think we may “ shut up ” as a nation. 
Mr. James Lancaster, J.P., Mr. W. Witham, J.P., Mr. 
George Nuttall, Mr. J. H. Rothwell, Mr. John Allen, Mr. John 
Bradshaw and Mr. A. R. Pickles, M.A., joined in the debate ; 
the majority of the speakers took the negative view. Mr. 
Chorlton then replied, and the debate was closed by Mr. Wm. 
Thompson. 
