PUBLIC WOMEN.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 3262, 20 October 1897, Page 4

PUBLIC WOMEN.

TO THE EDITOR. Sie, —I have been very pleased to notice the words of plain common-sense which have fallen from Mr Fisher, Mr Lawry and one or two others on the above subject. It seems to be the case that when the existence of social diseases are brought prominently before the public a kind of craze takes possession of a class of emotional people, and they talk and act as if such things had never happened before—as if human depravity Had suddenly broken out in an entirely fresh place—and they cry out for remedial measures, generally of a forceful nature, quite oblivious of the fact that such measures have already many tiroes been tried, and always with failure as a result. Sir,; we read in our school books of Aspasia, of Lais, of Phryue, and we know as a fact that three or four hundred years 13. G. therewore public women, and wo guess dimly .that public' women existed hundreds of years before there is any historic record of ’them.:;.}lt is open for anyone to assume the role of a prophet and assert with confidence that public women will be found in the world thousands of years hence. There is only one people I have ever read of that, so far' as I know, could boast a social system entirely free from this deplorable blemish, and we have them here'beside us—the Maoris. I remember reading very many years ago a history which reflected-' adversely upon the judgment of Julius Csesar for seeking the re-enactment of sumptuary laws, in the face of the fact -that all such measures bad proved productive, of more harm than good. Under the conditions which have come down to us as an inheritance, sumptuary laws; prohibition laws, public women laws, and other similar in principle repressive measures are certain to result in disastrous failure. Such is the stOry of “the ages since long before Cesar. It is not within the power of any. Parliament to abolish or suppress the vanities, the cravings, the passions common to.humanity: It would be well if this fact were recognised. It may ; be said, first: The evil, if it cannot be suppressed, may at least be mitigated. That is .true. Second: It is the protection of the young that is sought. It is with this latter that I wish to deal; it comprehends mitigations Let anyone wander into the unfrequented parts of the city at night, as X have ! done. There, at half-past ten, eleven and even later; under the shadow of trees or houses, in crowds or in pairs, they will find boys and girls forgathering, that ought to be whipped and sent to bed. In Willis. and Cuba streets at night boys and girls will be found associating; but not at each late hours nor under such dangerous circumstances as in the more secluded parts of the city. It is. in lonely places, at late hours.under the shadows, where boys and girls indis’criminately associate, that' the-public-woman- of ■ the futnre is'practicaUy born to" experience' ; With familiarity; the sense of shame, which has never at any time been seriously instilled by her parents, decreases; she'grows more and more hardened and debused, and finally gravitates to the street. Such is the general course. They begin young.. I know there are men who think it no shame to go ,about seeking, the seduction of women, for they have been good enough to reveal themselves to me j

but they do not always succeed, and were they do succeed it does not al way olio w that the woman becomes public. For the evil thus wrought society is to blame in visiting the whole of the punishment upon the more innocent of the parties, while the principal culprit escapes. Social vengeance should fall heavily upon such men. But where, as a rule, the public woman is generated is in the indiscriminate association of boys and girls at late hours, with no eye to observe the tricks they play. For this the parents of boys as well as of girls must be held to blame. The Government, like all Governments, naturally believed in having a law made to cope with the evil. The objections to the proposed legislation are fourfold : First: A policeman may know something of a girl, and hava . designs of his own '‘econd : Innocent and mod :st girls are not likely to feel morally raised by interference of the police. Third : The duties cast upon the police are already sufficiently numerous and onerous. Fourth : The parties primarily responsible would remain unaffected. Now, sir, what I would suggest is the appointment of on© decent old fellow, who, having ascertained their names and places of abode, would call upon the parents and tell them in unmistakable language of the behaviour of their children and the culpably neglected duty they, the parents, owe to them. Then, if remonstrance fails, he should threaten; and finally, if there is no improvement, there should be some kind of performance. You will observe that this is going to the root, striking at where the responsibility lies—the careless and indifferent parents. The police would not be brought to interfere with young people, whilst at the same time a perfectly legitimate and effective control would be brought into operation. In the end if there is to be punishment, it would fall, not upon the young and foolish and probably still innocent, but upon those who by their neglect to discharge parental obligations are responsible in great measure for very many of the evils which fall upon society. Like all social questions, that of public women is very ticklish and delicate to deal with, nevertheless I think I have shown one way in which, without risk of injurious consequences, the evil may be mitigated.—l am* &C., Fitz.

EDUCATION BOARD ELECTIONS. TO THE EDITOR. Sib,—Regarding tho system of election of education boards it appears to be quite opposed to the spirit of the age. Under the present system boards are elected by moribund committees instead of, as they should be, by tho householders. The educational districts should be divided into electorates, each to return one member; by this method men well-known in each district would be elected. At the present time committees are often called upon to vote for candidates from the extreme end of a district of whom they know absolutely nothing. As the Education Act is at present under discussion, perhaps the above might be considered worthy of consideration. —I am, &o, Progress. PETTIT CULTURE AND DELEGATES. TO THE EDITOR, Sir, —In a great portion of England, particularly Kent and Sussex, and I would add parts of Scotland and Ireland, they grow excellent crops of cherries, yet the climatic conditions are similar, latitudes in New Zealand and Britain being about equal: the rainfall also. Will Mr Grapes advance any reason why this should be ao ?—I am; &c., *A. Wellington, 14th October, 1897.