CARE OF YOUNG GIRLS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2944, 2 December 1916, Page 13

CARE OF YOUNG GIRLS

WOMEN POLICE ADVOCATED BI . AN EDUCATION BOARD. The matter of the appointment of women pqlice iu ,tho interests of women and girls of Auckland .was'introduced at Wednesday's meeting of tlio Auckland Board of Education, and received the" strong support of overy member, says tho "Herald." ' Mrs. F. E. Baiime brought tho matter before tho meeting. -''We are responsible, as an administrative body," sno said, "for 53,000 children attending schools throughout the province, more than half of whom are girls. In the Interests: of these girls attending schobls and _ evening. classes—many of Whom are just at'ah- ago when they are getting beyond parental control—l ask this board to urgently recommend the Department of Justice to appoint women police to safeguard the;welfare of women and children." , ' Mrs. Baume said that the work of women police would lie entirely with wonlen and cliildren. A deputation had already approached the.Hon. A. L. Herdmau,.Mimster in, Charge of. Police, oil. : the matter,' ■ but ho . had , entirely niissed the spirit of .tho' request,.'and had spoken of police.-. matrons. .What was.: wanted now, in view of recent •'•revelations . made a t the ..Police. Court, was-not. treatment for reform) but measures of prevention,, so that these girls need never require the services of police matrons, .it was quito impossible for policemen ; to' di> the same preventive; worJr among girls that a tactful, intelligent woman could do. Mrs. Baiime gave; a ' brief outline of the 'many ways in which the services of women police coujld be utilised, such as keeping- young; cliildren olf the streets at nigiit, 'to assist in preventing truancy : from schools, to watch, tho newspapers, and to put detectives on the track of those apparently endeavouring to decoy young, girls by advertisements and other means, to patrol slum neighbourhoods, to protect.women and girls in public parks, to patrol railway, stations and wharves, and similar measures of protection. •It was.realised that parental'control was tho most effective method of dealing .with' the wayward tendencies, . but- where: parental control had failed the State must step in. :'. . . ;■ - -Mr. Brinsdon supported Mrs. Baume's-motion. "I attended a 1 meeting .of tho City Council Finance Committee the other day in connection with the recent case," * he said, "abd tho revelations.: made at that .meeting. were an v absolute eyeopener to nie! : I'roni what I heard, I am prepared to go. farther than Mrs. .Baume, and'say that I am quite convinced that tho age.of consent is far too lpwvi Most of the girls concerned ;in these, cases were jiist a mouth or two over the age ot sixteen, and, in order to ; protect them from these scoundrels, tho age of consent should certainly bo raised to eighteen." Ofher -members expressed their entire concurrence' with this opinion. Mr. Garland suggested that copies of tho resolution be sent to both .the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Education, so as to ensure proper attention being given to the matter. ■ Mr. R. C, Smith went still farther,- and maintained that the resolu-tion-should be brought before every Cabinet Minister-. - This ■ suggestion was unanimously approved, and the entire, sympathy of the board was demonstrated. ' by. tho recommendation 'that 'not only • should Ministers be made aware of tho resolution, but every Auckland member of Parliament, and that the support of every education board.in tho Dominion should also he sought. The following motion was carried:— "That this board; unanimously urge tho Department of justice to appoint women police for work among women and i;irls, and that a copy, of this resolution be sent to all Cabinet Ministers."