DOMESTIC RELATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 53, 4 March 1925, Page 11

DOMESTIC RELATIONS.

tnriQxnE American cottrt.

NEW ZEALAND LADY'S IMPRESSIONS.

(Bj Telegraph.—Special to "Star.")

WELLINGTON, this day.

Questions affecting women's interests were specially investigated by Mrs. Don and Miss C. Henderson on behalf of the New Zealand Christian Women's Temperance Union during their tour of America, England and India.

Hiss Henderson said they found the United States well ahead of England in its effective handling of juvenile delinquents, also in the utilisation of women police, who are, she found from police officials, doing valuable work, more particularly of preventive character. Miss Henderson described other interesting phases of social work under official auspices.

"We were privileged, ,, she said, "to see how the Juvenile Court at Denver works under the presidency of the famous juvenile judge Mr. Ben Lindsay. We were much impressed. He has rooms in the City Hall. There are no policemen in attendance, no oath is administered which a child does not understand, and there is no suggestion of a police court, lie gets the parties around a table, carries on conversation, and eventually tells the probation officer what must be done. I heard him deal with domestic cases. This phase we followed up in San Francisco, where they conduct a bureau of domestic relations. It is not a court, but keeps cases between husbmd and wife out of court. Mrs. Evans, who is in charge, allowed us to attend a hearing, though it is usually not public. We were told by officials that she is mo3t successful in dealing with difficulties between husband and wife. We saw how she works. A wife came before her with a complaint that her husband stayed out late at night, neglected the children and kept her short of money. The husband attended and listened contemptuously, but Mrs. Evans talked to him like a mother. She verbally flayed him alive, made him turn out his pockets, and finished with the emphatic direction, 'Bring mc ten dollars on Monday or you will hear from mc again.' "The next process, if this fail.', would be by ordinary court proceedings. This system is far preferable to the practice of Xew Zealand maintenance casee heard in the Police Court, and we were told that Mrs. Evans has few failures. Los Angeles has similar works undertaken by an officer called 'The City Mother. , ' She is one of a staff of 22 women police. We visited the children's courts in England, but were disappointed with their official atmosphere, which does not achieve the same results."