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Evening Post, Volume LXIX, Issue 119, 22 May 1905, Page 5

In a telegram from Dunedin published in the Post last week a brief referenca was made to an interesting report presented by the Society for the Protection of Women and Children regarding tho ill-treatment of women. The following is a full extract from tho report: — "The cases brought before the society during the past twelve months have neither been few in numbers nor less painful in their nature than in previous years. The cases have increased in number over last year's record 1 , which is not satisfactory, though tho increase is not out of proportion to the increase in tho population. It has sometimes been supposed tint the working classes provide all our cases. This is not so ; we have worse cases of cruelty to wives amongst men who boast of {heir thousands than amongst those who have little of this world's goods. The former, because of their money influence, are received as respectable citizens; the latter suffer in the eyes of their fellows. It is a painful duty to record that wo see no diminution in cruelty in married life, and that there is no alternative to us many times than to recommend and take action to secure a separation by ovder or by mutual consent. When men are ostracised by their fellows for cruelty to wives there may bo some hope of checking a good deal of misery. Whilst our aim is reconciliation, yet often to prevent a greater evil wo have to recommend separation. Wo can but admire the wonderful patience and long-suffering of women of all classes. There is still a need of an improvement in the Uw or its administration, so that families may not be chargeable to the State owing to la*y or deserting husbands. Could not some labour colony be started where such men should be forced to work, and so earn their own support and womething towards tho support of their families? Honest citizens should not be taxed for the families of such men. Wo last year petitioned Parliament to legislate so as to secure to tho wife and family a portion of the wages earned by men who squander their money in drink and gambling. This has been partly met by the Act No. 32, 1904, but tlie Act does not go quite far enough."