WHITE SLAVERY CHARGES

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3586, 11 March 1914, Page 5

WHITE SLAVERY CHARGES

MRS FIELD’S STATEMENTS

FURTHER REMARKS BY THE “POST ” "COMPLAINANT OUT OF COURT.” [BY TELEGRAPH— SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, March 10. ii attempt to justify previous allegations of “white slavery” in New Zealand (says the “Evening Post” in further comment on tibis subject) a delegate at the W.C.T.TJ. Convention has made the matter still more grotesque with mysteries of hansom cabs or four-wheelers, railway waiting rooms and so on. A long rigmarole has been telegraphed from Gisborne, and if every word of it is correct it no more proves that New Zealand has “white slaves” than it has white elephants, or white wings. The complainant repeated tales of old fashioned confidence tricks and attempts at seduction, and the only moral to be drawn from these old stories is that girls who may be naturally flighty, giddy, densely stupid, or amazingly ignorant ,by fault of their parents, or otherwise, should be warned about the plain perils of accepting wine from strangers, in railway waiting rooms, and putting an excessively child-like trust in statements of which the sinis-

ter complexion should be unmistakably to even dull senses. It is not a case of "white slavery,” but of a villain taking advantage of exceptional guliibleness, especially if it is mixed up ■with some giddiness and appetite for adventure. How are such incidents to be prevented ? They have happened in all countries throughout human history and no amount of officious paternal or maternal legislation of Parliament will make such things impossible. So long as immeasurable credulity, rashness, vanity and colossal ignorance exist—as well as passion—there will be a ‘‘confidence man” looking for easy chances of seduction not ‘‘white slavery.” The W.C.TJJ. delegate’s remarks are so manifestly absurd that they need no further comment except a line of gratification that the charges of ‘‘white slavery” have exploded themselves. The complainant has practically put herself out of court.

NO ORGANISED TRAFFIC. POLICE OFFICIALS INTERVIEWED. [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, March 10. Police Comissioner Cullen was waited on to-day with regard _to the alleged existence in New Zealand of an organised white slave traffic, inferred from the speech of 55 s Field at the W.C.T.TJ. Conference at Gisborne. The Commissioner, who keeps in close touch with every police district in New Zealand, stated that he was sure there was no organised white slavery existent at the present time in New Zealand. That sort of thing could not go on for long in a small country -like this without detection, and be was quite confident that there was no organised effort to decoy girls into leading a life of ill-fame. There was a case about five or six years ago when a Wellington girl was said to have been lured to London by a man who made a business of that sort of thing. That man had been subsequently arrested as one of three responsible for the iiupodtatidn into Auckland of some French women. These women used to cloak their infamous trade by taking little confectionery or tobacconist ‘mps in various parts of the city. Finally one of the women got into trouble with, the police and the whole truth came out. Originally the girls iv lured away from their homes in t rance by men'who only sought to make money out of them. They were p r-nadrd to leave by a promise of :iP-ifiT drcs'.es, a trip to oilier countries. and the prospect of finally making g A inatc.'ies. First they were ‘a..r:: to ‘•..me of Cmit nental cities and afterwards they visited Rio- de Janiero, Sydney and Auckland, but were not in the latter city long before their business was discovered and they were rooted out. Other police officials were questioned on the same subject, but one and all gave fee opinion that so far as their knowledge went there was no organised white slave traffic going on in Xaw Zea'and.