Fighting The White Slave Menace

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 23, 28 January 1939, Page 8 (Supplement)

Fighting The White Slave Menace

FAR -REACHING steps to guard against the white slave traffic are being taken by the London County Council, and special bylaws drafted by the public control committee of the council to stop theatrical and other agencies being used as a "cover" are to be brought before the L.C.C. for approval.

It is the biggest move yet made for protection of Britain's dance girls sent abroad. The report point* out: "Inquiries relating to the employment abroad of female artists seem to indicate a need for further control in respect of such employment. "We have considered a suggestion that agents should be required to make special application for permission to place female persons in employment abroad. We are advised, however, that this course is outside the scope of the council's powers. "After careful consideration of the matter we have come to the conclusion that the council's control over agencies in regard to the employment abroad of female artists can be strengthened by a revision of the by-laws." It was in 1921 that the by-laws, which are to be altered, were made. The by-law which relates to the employment of persons other than theatrical, concert, variety, or cinema artists, precludes an agent from arranging for the employment abroad of any female person without first obtaining written information from a responsible person or society testifying to the satisfactory nature of the proposed employment, and provides for such written information to be kept on the premises for a period of 12 months. "So far as we are aware," the report goes on, "very few engagement* affected by this by-law proved uniatiafac-

torv, and no case is known in which a female employee's welfare has bepn imperilled seriously. The committee propose that a similar safeguard should be introduced into the by-law which refers to bookings by theatrical, variety, concert, or cinema agents. The committoe also consider it desirable to amend the existing by-laws so as to provide that a girl under IS years of age, instead of 16 as at present, may not be sent abroad for employment without the previous sanction in writing of her parents or lawful guardian, and subject to other safeguards.