WOMEN'S RESCUE HOMES

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 55, 7 March 1922, Page 7

WOMEN'S RESCUE HOMES

INVESTED FUNDS TO CHANGE HANDS

CLAIMS OF TWO CONTROLLING

BODIES

A COMPARISON OF ACTIVITIES.

An interesting judgment, referring to the funds of a society which founded a Home for Fallen Women in Majoribanksstreet nearly forty years ago, was delivered by Mr. Justice Hosking at the Supreme Court this morning. The home was closed in the early 1900's and the proceeds from the sale of the premises, placed in the hands of the Public Trustee until a suitable purpose might be found for the moneys. Two bodies recently applied to the Court for permission to utilise the money—the Salvation Army and the Wellington Ladies' Christian Association. • In the early 'eighties or before, the judgment ran, a society wag formed to establish a Home for Fallen Women, and to carry out its purpose a house and premises jn Majoribanks-street was rented. Then a sum of money w,as collected,,and with this, aided by a sum borrowed on mortgage, the society purchased ,the property. ' , . ■

The activities in. relation to the home were in the hands of a committee of ladies on behalf of the. society, and were supported by voluntary contributions. The activities ceased some time in the early nineteen hundreds owing to the premises having become unsuitable. The trustees then appear, to have let the premises' for a time. Later, a sale was made at a profit of £350. The net proceeds of the sale, with^Xhe other moneys ofythe trust, amounting in all to £1104 16s 3d, were paid over to the Public Trustee between fifteen and sixteen years ago, and by investment and accumulation this sum has been increased to about £1900.

Eighteen months ago the Wellington Ladies' Christian A ssociation—a different body from the society mentioned—made a request to .the Public Trustee that the fund should be applied towards building and equipping a wing to the Alexandra Home for Fallen Women—an institution under the charge, of that association!

The Public Trustee submitted to the Attorney-General a scheme by which it .was. proposed that the funds should be divided in equal portions between the association, for the purpose mentioned, and the New Zealand branch of the Salvation Army to f Jbe applied to the carrying oh of the Paulina Home and the Maternity Hospital in^ Kensington-street. Hia Honour then referred to the, activities of the Majoribanks-street Home ac compared with the work of the present homes mentioned, pointing out that the affidavits before the Court had differed considerably. It appears that the home came to be chiefly.used rather for those who had sunk in degradation than for such as were not inaptly des~ cribed in argument as "first offenders." In his view the evidence established that while the general activities of the society may^have extended to women and girls, who were on'the-way to fall, the horne 1 itself was. used simply for those who had decidedly' fallen. Maternity cases,, were provided for outside of the home. The activities of the society were conducted upon ungectarian lines. ;,;,'' ; ■ _>- ... It was acknowledged that there was no organisation in Wellington exactly equivalent to*, the society which originated the vMajoribanksfstreet-. Home, and that the two organisations in Wellington which were, engaged in social work most analogous, to that doric by the old society were the Wellington Ladies' Christian -Association and the, Salvation Army.

The Wellington Ladies' Christian Association was established . over forty years ago, and was in . existence while the Majoribanks-street :Home was 'still running. It had a body of trustees, and controlled two^jnetitutions, the Alexandra Home for Women' and the Levin Memorial Home for Girls.. - "

The Army controlled ,two homes for fallen women, the Paulina Home, in Owen-street, and the Maternity Home in Kensington-street. Their management 'was under officers of the Army subject to the over-riding control of the Commissioner. The expenditure waa subsidised by voluntary donations, made up when there was a deficit by contributions from the Self-Denial Fund. . ' ' , The Paulina Home was vested in General Booth, subject to a declaration of trust under which, primarily, it was to be heldag a rescue home or rescue homes, or as a home or homesfor fallen or other women, with power, during the lifetime of Miss Paul, the founder of the trust, with her consent and after the expiration of ten years from her death, absolutely to put an end to the trust. The Kensington-street Home was vested in the General free from any special trusts, and as part of the Army's general property; ' . The Army did not ask for any part of the capital of the fund, whereas the Wellington Ladies' Christian Association desire ihat a part at least of the capital should be paid to it.

In. the case of the Alexandra Home, said hi9\ Honour, the purpose to which the scheme proposed, that the funds in question should be applied was to assist a maternity homo for giris who had gone astray. In the case of the Salvation Army, the proposal waa to assist a home for the purpose, of the reformation of women, as well as a home for maternity purposes. In the case of both organisations, the proposed purpose was not on all fours with the original purpose of the Majoribanks-street Home, which did not provide for maternity cases. ■ .

'('After careful reflection on. the rival claims of the two bodies," continued Mr. Justice Hosking, "I have arrived at/ the ( conclusion that preference should be. given to the Alexandra Home, on the following grounds :— "(1) The Alexandra Home is carried on by a committee of women, aided by contributions from persons who thereby become members of the association, and whose interest and participation in the wovk of the home are thereby enlisted 1. This outside organisation is more analagous to that by which the Majoribanksstreet Home was.carried 1 on.

"(2) The needs of the association, with regard to accommodation, and financially, seem to me to be greater than, those of the Army in respect of homes under their control. . .

"(3) In practice, these women, who have passed beyond the stage of such, as may-be described as first offenders, are excluded, from the Alexandra. Home, so that the two classes aye not brought "into contact at any time, whereas, with the Army, although it recognises the need of separation, it has no separate maternity hospital, ao that contact cannot be absolutely prevented. It appears to,me that an institution which provides for complete "separation, although it does so by excluding the worst cases, ought not to bo allowed to fail. It supplies a recognised want not filled, otherwise."

His Honour; considwrrl tint the amount of the accumulations. le«3 the costs of nJ! parties, sh<y>ld be paid over, to the association, but thnt the ovipinn.l capital fihould be retained until a. sufficient, mim with that capital had been assured to e>ect the projected wing, and

be paid over to the association only'in that event, and that in the meantime ithe future interest of the sum retained be paid to the association. Before'any order was sealed giving effect to that modification, h© must be satisfied that bylaws made by the trustees defined explicitly the purposes of the home. During the hearing of argument, Mr. G., G. Rose appeared for the Public Trustee, Mr. A. Fair for the Attorney-' General, Mr. J. F. R. Stevenson for the association, and Mr. H. E. Evans for the Salvation Army.