OUR WOMEN'S PROTECTION

NZ Truth, Issue 174, 17 October 1908, Page 5

OUR WOMEN'S PROTECTION

A BARMAID'S SAD STORY.

Are We Worse than Australians?

. Statistics Say that We Are!

" Barmaids as barometers recording the morality of the people may not be reliable, but they .undoubtedly, by reason of their occupations and experiences which bring them into contact? with all sorts and conditions of men, are qualified to express an intelligent opinion. An Australian barmaid, who has been m the Dominion for a period of six months, and left yesterciay for Sydney, gave "Truth ' .the benefit of her experience, and her expressions of opinion m regard to the morality of the men of New Zealandshe did not criticise tbe women— are most reroarka'ole and provide food for thought. Said the lady— even a barmaid is entitled to respect, though some bounders appear to think otherwise— "There is too much hypocrisy m this country,' and the reason is* not. far to seek. Yqu .'certainly bpttst earlier closing hours than m Australia, and you make a great pretence of being a very pious people fakeu en the whole, but my experience, whilst amongst you, teaches me that your inoi-' tility is only on the surface-^-a veneer and sneer mockery." 'The lady went on to sayUhat she 'had been, treated with less respect by the men;' young and old, o! the Dominion than ahe had received m ' Australia "I ' have, of course, met a number 6f. decent men, but, on the ayera:\c, the ivien with whom I have come m contact with are . certainly less moral than the men p! Australia. Here the men > appear to regard a 'oarmaid as little bettsr : than; ■ "-.., ■■■''■■'■

A PUBLIC -WOMAN, ; and it I have consented to accompany a man* to .tfa«'- 'theatre-- 1 !- have "' invariably lean' subiect«»l to mosti Indecent propor sals. 1 do not say *hat I have not had \\xe sanie experience m Australia, but riot to /the same extent as here, m fact, here every man appejars to regard the barmaid" as his special prey.. ; I have bad enoTigh of the men of this country and 'am returning to Sydney, where, although I have to earn my own Jiving, I, can do so without being subjected to insult every time I go beliind the bar." Askqd as to vvhat she thought was the reason for this ungcntletnanly conduct, the lady said, she could, not say, but "supposeil that it was due to >the. fact' that the police harassed public worsen apd that men were thus .limited m their scope for venting tlie 'evil passions inherent m most men." That there, is much that is true m the lady's asserlicns nlost .men will readily attmtt, and the 'conclusion she ; arrives at is probably the correct one. The number- of sexu.al offences recorded m this country has -heepme alarming, day after day niost vUe and disgusting charges of assault en Women etd children— iiay -even .babies— are brought before our courts : and nothing appears to be done to^remedy -the v evil. 1 The daily press, m its usual' sjnug attitude, glosses over the cases land hides \the, evil, when , the surgeon's knife is required to cut away the cancerous growth, which ' threatens the whole community. Not only do Xbsse sexual offences occur m the lower strata .of society, but even daughters of ouc most respected citizens are

tampered with by scoundrels, •whose pb'ei bions shield them from prosecution. ' ' True the police act where infbrniatioii is obtainable, but, m the .higher tanks tlf the community, it is -the fear of publicity .which prevents parents actins as they otherwise itrouid doi and' the miscreants are thus .enabled to, carry out their nefarious practices practically without let qx hiudrapco. . Recently there was published m the press of this country thii evidence, of portion thereof, m the case of 'an action for criminal libel • brought .by one Pollock* an officer of the < Lands department, against a Bible-ban^-■Uigr^ounder- named Beesou, .now ed,. on -the staff of .the. ''Dominion.'' The result of Beesou's unwarranted! and revengeful "'actions was that bollock was suspended from ' his qflice .on account of hi§ immoral rbrrracter, and here let it be understood "Truth" at no time defended •Pollock's, evil practices. But whilst action was taken m Polloc'.'s case, there is no, action taken m the case of a member, of the opposite, sex employed m the Trust Office whose carryings on are the •talk of' the entire staff of that Department. If it is right and proper to j penalise a man, > then ''Truth" holds that \vher« a woman, is guilty of unbfcojriing behaviour:— and it. is common rumor that this woman, drawing a salary from the ( • Department of something like £150 per year, is the mistress of \ one of the chief officers of that Department, and was PITCHFORKED' INTO THE POSITION — she'' stould also' be dealt wit-h, as h«r influence "on innocent girls employed m the same. Department cannot but be harmful. But/reverting back, it certaiiily/Meoitld appear^ that i unless? some liberty is. granted..l; 6 public wonwn, provided' thej d<i' nqt flaunt their habits too brazenly 'beforev iie public eye, this tamf pering with young women and girls must continue," as mkn will gratify his evil passions "in, qfle' direction or another.. That this evil will have to fee dealt with fs beyond question, and the only t natural; manner of doing so appears to b» the revival of" the provisions of the CD. Act, which is still on the statute book. Until tibis is done—and m Wew • S«uth Wales an attempt is being made tr revive Act— the number of offences against women will continue to increase, and as a protection to our womanhood— practically an insurance policy— something m thja dkection should be instituted iVithout' delay,' ; v ' <