PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23940, 6 May 1943, Page 3

PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

SOCIETY’S ANNUAL MEETING That the officials of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children in Christchurch had paid 2746 visits, attended to 6467 callers, and dealt with 4320 miscellaneous cases during the year was disclosed in the annual report of the society, presented at the annual meeting, held last evening in the Plunket Society’s rooms in Chester street. The Rev. I. L. Richards, who, for some months, has been acting-president, replacing the Rev. C. E. B. Muschamp, who is in camp, presided over a large attendance. The speakers were Miss M. G. Havelaar and the Rev. L. M. Rogers. Miss Havelaar dealt with the great changes brought about in the lives of many women by the war. She said much was heard of moral laxity among girls and young women, many of whom now had more freedom and more money to spend than they had ever had before. From experience she had found that many of these women who were drifting into immorality were not bad, only weak, and she felt it was the duty of older women to try to influence them for good. This, she admitted, needed courage, but she had found it was possible to lead young women from evil and sordid ways and to convince them that happiness lay in leading good lives. Each must help others, she said, to bring about a better Christian spirit in the community. Miss Havelaar urged her hearers to continue to work for good housing conditions and against the increasing evil of employing young children in industry.

“It is no good holding up our hands in holy horror when we hear of moral depravity,” said the Rev. L, M. Rogers. “Each of us has a personal responsibility to place himself or herself between young persons and the evil morass into which they may fall.” It was wrong and un-Christian, he said, to complain of the lack of responsibility among the young, to discuss their moral failings and not to have courage to help them. He knew from personal experience that young persons, especially those coming to towns from the country, were often very lonely: they were often invited to take part in questionable pastimes, but were seldom invited to good homes to share in wholesome pastimes. “Before we condemn.” he concluded, “we must first examine our own consciences.”

The Rev. F. N. Taylor thanked the speakers for their addresses.

Officers were elected as follows: President, the Rev. I. L. Richards: vice-presidents, Mesdames F. Biltcliff, T. Tomlinson, J. Blackaby, Mr C. R. N. Mackie, and the Rev. P. Revell: committee. Mesdames F. Biltcliff, J. B'ackaby. T. Tomlinson. J. G. Collins. M. Emmett. M, G. Bell, V. J. Drake. Miss M. Howard. Miss E. C. Cousins. Miss H. Scott. Sister Dorothy Rutherfurd. Major Smith, the Rev. P. Revell, the Rev. F. 0. B. Lane, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, Messrs H. Holland, C. R. N. Mackie, and A. J. McEldowney.