FOR THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 22, 21 October 1907, Page 3

FOR THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

At 102 Willis Street, in the building next to the one' at-tho corner of Willis Streot and . Manners .Street, is air unpretentious-looking little ropm/the-office bf'a'society that week by- around, fi'loes a'great deal ofcquief'wprk'forjthe'benefit of women and children in the city. 'This is the Society for the Protection of Women and Children, and .; its object is to act as adviser'to women in need,- or, when necessary, to take "notion on their behalf. 1 ■ The'work takes the secretary farafield. "She'has to make personal investigation of the cases that come before the Society,'but "on two morning in the "weok—Tuesdays rand -Fridays—she .waits in- the office ■ fronvlO t0'12.30 to receive word of any.case .that.requires'tho Society's attention. AH sorts of cases are brought to theoffice, of- wives who are deserted or positively illtreated,; of children who are in the hands of unsuitable'guardians, or for whom there is no one to, care, of girls who are in trouble „ and friendless, and according to their needs ;■ the Society deals with them. It is as far as possible a court of arbitration, and it is best pleased when, the'. difficulty, can be adjusted iin a friendly manner. In fact, there is many ' a matter brought under its notice which ... never,gets;the length of being considered as a case, and there aro others where, perhaps, there has been unhappiness in.-a home for months, :'andi-a- reference' to the Society puts everything very' quickly on a new and satisfactory footing, where otherwise for years there might have. beon a . dreary dragging yon of ".unhappy; relationships. When >• arbitration; fails,, and it becomes necessnrv for legal proceedings to be ; taken, the Society's chentsarpput in the way of getting the best legal advice, and this is'a great benefit to the average-woman'who knows nothing of the , mazes of the law, and has a'great dread of ' dangers. Always the aim of the bociety is .to avoid publicity in the management of its affairs, and a great deal-of its success..is ;to-be attributed; to this, for tho women it;is designed to help are those who ' would suffer for years in 'silence, rather than invoke.the aid of ordinary Coiirt procedure. 1 here are people who' do not mind publishing to the world the story of. their private troubles, and those are well fitted to fieht v their own battles, but for the others — the larger class -a Society" such as this is urgently needed. 'The marriage in haste is responsible for much of the work of the Society., Girls are often rushed- into marriago force of circumstancos, and repontanee follows m short time. ' The Society is very careful to avoid,undue interference, and in these, as in all cases, both sides are carefully considered and full information asked for. t It is not to'be taken for granted that because tho Society exists for the protection of .women and children that it , assumes the man in the case must bo in the wrong. There are'occasions'when the adjustment of the . difficulty'is m favour-of the-husband or the rather:. .:- .' j • '-.-. ■ The most imteresting part of the Society's work is in connection with tho : finding of homes for little forlorn children. Very groat carft is exercised by it in selecting a home, for. jt.is a matter of supremo■ importance to-the child's future, and the homes offered are not always suitable. On the other hand, so many very suitable homes arc not offered, inore are many homes that would be all the , better for/tho presence of o child,!many women .whose ;-_ : lives ; would bo enriched and beautified if they had a littJo child to care for, and,there are children wanting homes and care, waiting outside closed doorg In another way the Society helps, and, perhaps, to a greater extent than is ever known' as the fact of its existence acts as a deterrent to wrong-doing. It could do still bettor work if the general.public would help it more with information, and if cases 'renuirine its help were, reported to if before, the. need became extreme, but there-is among many people a fear of being drawn into some unpleasant position'by any interference. . Those who know the workings of the Society know that its'discretion and wisdom may bo trusted as fully as its energy.-. .'■•'■'