WOMEN AND CHILDREN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22412, 7 May 1936, Page 4

WOMEN AND CHILDREN

PROTECTION SOCIETY HEAVY FINANCIAL DEMANDS The 'l2nd annual report of the Society lor the Protection of Women and Children draws attention to the fact that the society can claim to bo one of the oldest social welfare organisations in New Zealand. The work has been steadily increasing year by year. The staff of three is heavily overworked, and if the financial position improves further assistance will certainly be warranted. The following are the statistics for the year, the figures in parentheses being those for the financial year 19341935: —Office interviews, 7254 (5261); inspector's visits to homes, institutions, etc., 1548 (1483); new cases dealt with, 832 (633). The inspector has also attended 136 Court sittings. Continuing, the, report states that the society deals with many varieties of distress in the community, including domestic tragedies, the ill-treatment of children, and various crises which must be dealt with by wise and judicious handling and with human sympathy. The report also states that elderly women are frequently found in a state of deplorable destitution. Maintenance and medical help and comforts are socuied for them by the society. The latter is also alert to legislative reforms in tho interests of women and children. Tho financial statement shows that the society lias had to draw upon its small reserve to the amount of £l5O 7s l>d, although it is worthy of note that the cost of administration of the society's work is now no more than it was seven years ago, when only half tho number of cases was dealt with. An application was made for restoration of the Government grant, in response! to which a special grant of £IOO was received. The matter has again been placed before the Government, and it is hoped that an annual grant will be renewed. Increased interest in the work has been stimulated, and the financial organiser has added 165 new members to tho society during the year. Nevertheless, the society urgently needs increased revenue to enable it to cope successfully with the demands made upon it.