The Dominion. MONDAY, APRIL 6, 1908. PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 165, 6 April 1908, Page 6

The Dominion. MONDAY, APRIL 6, 1908. PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

In replying to a deputation in Dunedin on Saturday the Premier foresliadowed a legislative proposal which will command general support. He was waited upon by representatives; of two _ Societies concerned with the protection' of women and children against bad husbands or fathers oil the one

hand, and eyil. conditions of life on the o.ther. These Societies do admirable work, but their operations are not so extensive as they might be, partly owing to the comparative obscurity in which, in the nature of things, they must work, and partly owing to the restrictions placed upon their activities by the'state of the law.' Some of these restrictions were placed before the Premier Uy the deputation, and they illustrate the difficulties with which private effort in one of the best of .public causes .has to contend. The amendments of- the law asked for are fairly extensive, and the principles which they involve . are quite"' important enough to justify the note of caution in the Premier's-reply. It may be urged that to empower the Societies for the Protection of Women and Children to lay informations under Section 16 of the Industrial Schools Act of 1882 will be to give a -private society entrance into the administration of the criminal law, and to invest it with powers that should be restricted to the properly constituted officials. There appears, however, to be no strong reason why the Magistrates' power of committal should not be extended in the direction desired by the deputation; and as for the request that'the methods of the American "children's court" should be more closely followed, particularly in the matter of evidence, it is one which is not only unobjectionable, but really very desirable. It is in the amendments desired in the Destitute Persons' Act that tho deputation raises some difficult questions. No end can be more desirable than the provision of efficient means for the application of a husband's earnings to the support of his destitute wife or children, but the greatest caution is necessary in legislation, multiplying the facilities for in- \ terfering between husband and wife. At present, it appears, the inability of the Societies to apply for the attachment of wages on behalf of a destitute wife results in delay and a prolongation of distress. If this is so, the Act certainly requires tightening up. Tho .Premier seamed ta f&Yfiur tie deputa-.

suggestion on this point, and lie practically promised so to amend the definition of wage-earners as to make the Act more efficient, although he seems to have expressed no opinion upon the reasonable proposal that a, wage-earner should be considered to have _ deserted those dependent upon hinrif ho wastes his earnings to their detriment on drinking and gambling. As_ one English writer said in commenting upon the Juveniles' Protection Bill, which we discussed on Saturday, the criminal law is at best a poor fos-ter-parent. But we must take Society as we find it, and mucli as Ave may deplore the necessity for Acts like alluded to, it is the business of the Government to adopt every reasonable suggestion which will manifestly strengthen the hands of the law against the callous, the drunken, or the. brutal head of a family. The offence of the neglectful parent is not only a a offence against those who depeud upon him, but an offence against Society in general. Whoever ill-treats or starves a member of the State, or permits a child to live in evil conditions, is doing an injury to the community. The stock objection to such bodies as the Society for the Protection of Women and Children _is that they are sometimes mischief-making . busybodies, bent upon interfering with parental rights. Generally, however, the only right they interfere with is the "right" of the bad parent, to injure his family. Although conditions in. New Zealand are infinitely better than in Great Britain, there is_ room here for improvement upon existing laws,- and the Gov-' ■eminent will have general support in any reasonable steps which it takes to encourage and render more efficient the spontaneous private effort that has charged itself with the duty of helping the weak and helpless.