WHITE SLAVERY ALLEGATIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3585, 10 March 1914, Page 5

WHITE SLAVERY ALLEGATIONS.

MRS FIELD’S CAMPAIGN

FURTHER AUCKLAND INQUIRIES.

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.} AUCKLAND, March 9. In consequence of the fact that •Auckland. City and province have •been prominently associated lately •with statements about white slavery, a pressman made extensive inquiries, not only among the police, but also among societies and individuals who work among the poor and criminal classes. The police state that they have been unable to discover any instances of the disappearance of girls due to the alleged traffic. Moreover, although it is stated that cases have occurred, they (have not received either complaints or requests to investigate. . Several Auckland women whose labor brings them in contact with a great number of girls, were questioned and the consensus of opinion was that, although there appears to be no' organised effort in trafficking in girls here, yet there have been enough isolated instances of attempts to lure girls away from their homes to put ’every young woman on her guard and to make her very wary in her dealings with strangers. Another woman who meets and helps many girls coming to the city in search of work said that she knew of two cases of what was suspiciously like white slavery, but although she had made inquiries in both instances, the evidence was too slender to institute proceedings.

“AN UNIMAGINABLE STORY.” WELLINGTON NEWSPAPERS' •OPINIONS. [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, March 9. Commenting on the fact that the police authorities at Auckland give no credence to the alarming “white slave” allegations that have emanated from the conference of the Womens Christian Temperance Union, the “Post” says:— . .. every country is now s<iici to have some ‘white slavery,’ and, of course New Zealand’s f nrn had to come after Australia’s. 'However, the phrase ‘white slavery’ applied to New Zealand is about as as ‘wage slaverv ” The people know what an average Red Federal ‘wage slave’ is and how many meals a (lay he has. and how many hours he has tor ms own pursuits out of ‘slavery. Nothing but a rambling circumstantial narrative supports the complaint of uhi e slavery in these islands. The ‘traders would' indeed be mad to look tor victims in New Zealand, where the risks would be enormously disproportionate to the possible profits. The ‘industry would he practised to procure girls either (1) for vice in New Zealand, or (2) for export. Houses of ill-fame do exist in New Zealand, though the law is against, brothels, hut it is impossible for anv man with a fraction of worldly wisdom to listen to any tale oi ‘white slavery’ for vicious purposes in New Zealand. Who can imagine that a girl here, even if deceived and duped ones*. would completely lose all strength of mind when complete liberty can he regained so easily. Is it imaginable that girls can be locked up in evil houses or cellars m this coi n trv° No. 1 theory cannot he sustained and No. 2 still is less tenalde. Sending coals to Newcastle would be a sane industry compared with the pen ons industry of trapping girls in New Zealand for counrties where the catching can l,c done more cheaplv, more qmefeIv :,„d much less riskily. Even the ‘white slave’ traders have to observe the elementary rules of the I ™ sm^' sS prudence which characterises the noncriminal industries.”