FRA.IIDS ON THE POOR-RATE.
Bristol, 18th September 1856. Sra—I observed in the Times a few days ago a report of the prosecution of two women for fraudulently receiving weekly allowances from parishes for the support of children. In one case, the prisoner had borrowed a child to supply the loss of one which had died ; in the other, the woman was re- ceiving allowance from two parishes at the same time. Jielieve frauds similar to the above are frequently committed : I have knOwn instances of women receiving money from parishes for the support of children who were actually in prison. I would venture to suggest, that such practices would be effectually pre- vented, and the true interests of the children at the same time best promoted, by the adoption of a practice which is becoming frequent in the large towns of Scotland—namely, instead of making an allowance to the child's mother, the parish pays for its board and instruction at an Industrial Feeding School. Since the children at these institutions are permitted to return at night to their homes, the parental tie is not broken by such an arrangement, nor can the mothers have any reasonable ground of complaint.
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