WHITE SLAVE EVIL WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 75, 30 March 1914, Page 8

WHITE SLAVE EVIL WOMEN AND CHILDREN

HOW TO PROTECT THEM MR. BELL SPEAKS OUT. IMMIGRANT GIRLS OF GOOD CHARACTER. How to prevent the introduction of the "white slave" traffic into New Zealand and various other matters concerning the satety of women and children in New Sealatiu were orought under the notice oi the "Hon. H. D. Bell, Minister of Internal Affairs and Immigration, to-day, by a numerous deputation representing all tlic societies in Wellington which take an interest in such matters. The deputation was introduced by Dr. Newman, M»l\ Mrs. Field, of Nelson, spoke on the subject of the "white slave" traffic, on ttle lines of addresses and interviews which have already been reported at length. Sho did not think, Bhe said, tha,t the traffic was organised, but there was sufficient evidence of attempts at procuration, and they asked the Government to do. something to prevent it. At present, she added, if only one wom&li of ill-fame resided in a house the police could take no action. The law in that respect required amendment. WOMEN POLICE. Lady Stout said her experience was that there was no such thing as the "white slave" traffic in New Zealand, but if there was even the beginning of the evil ;it was their place to ask that it should be taken in hand at once. It should be made a criminal offence for anyone to havo a boy or girl under 21 years of age in a disorderly house. She added that under our laws the penalty for keeping a disorderly house was less than that for going into a neighbour's garden and destroying his cabbages. Also they asked that police women should be appointed ; they had proved a great success in Chicago and San Francisco. A 'recent cablegram had stated that they were not a success. That was because they had interfered' with vices of people who did not want to be interfered with. In New Zealand the^ would be useful in the parks, whei most of the offences against children aiM general immorality took place. Last session Mr. Massey had said to a, deputation that he would bring down a Bill, raising the age of consent to 18 years. Another request was that women jurors. should be employed in cases where women and children were concerned, and that there should be female Inspectors ot factories. Lady Stout went on to urge that there_ should be more careful inspection of young women immigrants by the New Zealand authorities in London, and that more power of control should be given to the matrons, so as to prevent them getting into trouble b^ going ashore at way ports on receipt ot' bogus telegrams. Tho Minister : We have no power to imprison them. Lady Stout: The captain could lock them up in their cabins. She also urged that the law should be amended so that if a British woman married a foreigner she should not, as at present, lose her nationality. Mr. Bell : Do you want to keep your ,own names as ,well as your nationality when you marry? Lady Stout : Yes. Every woman should retain her own name if she marries. She should not lose her identity or her nationality. Mr. Ma3sey, she added, also promised to amend the law regarding the nationality of women who married foreigners. Mr. Bell : Why do you marry foreigners it you want to remain English women ? Dr. Platts-Mills said they did not say there was any white slave traffic in New Zealand, but they asked the Government to take such measures as would make the work of the procurer absolutely impossible in New Zealand. For her own part she believed that it would <be impossible to get any girl out of New Zealand by illicit means, but she suggested that the police should have the matter put before them so as to make them even more alert than they are at the 'present time for the protection of Women and children. As to the age of consent, she spoke of the difficulty experienced all over the world of getting Governments to raise the age, and said they could not help wondering what influence was at work to prevent our own Government making a thorough ' revision of all the laws pertaining to- the care of women and children, and so. altering them as to give women and children the .maximum amount of protection that could bo afforded by any State. As to women police,' she said the vast majority of cases in which girls got into trouble occurred, in the parks; the keepers of the Botanical Gardens had warned children and women of going through them unprotected ; and the Ellice-streel reserve was a hotbed of iniquity.