WOES OF WOMEN

NZ Truth, Issue 931, 29 September 1923, Page 7

WOES OF WOMEN

RAISING IHEJGEJf CONSENT Desexualising The Degenerates FEMALES WHOJAVOIiR FLOGGING Vice And Venereal Disease Twenty delegates to the Conference of the National Council of Women, representing the four chief centres of the Dominion, gathered at Auckland last week to discuss matters of women's rights, women's wrongs, the sins of man, and social and sexual problems generally* There was a torrent of talk such as has never before been poured out m the City Council Chambers, graciously placed at the disposal of the ladies by Mayor Gunson. The delegates had much of interest to say.

After demanding for their sex the offices of Justices of the Peace, police patrols (with the full powers of ordinary constables) and Legislative Councillors, the delegates went on to discuss the age of consent. One delegate considered that ; 18 was too young an age for a maidehUfa judge of the wisdom pf saying "Yea." If a girl of that age cannot be trusted to exercise the franchise," she asked, "how can she be trusted to guard something infinitely more precious?" — viz., her maiden purity. The president (Lady-Lawyer Melville) quite agreed that girls should be protected from ; the" dire and lustful wiles of wooing men until they attained their inkjority.' ''But we have no hope of getting 'the present Government to agree to this," she added, "Therefore we- are MERELY COMPROMISING When we ask that the age be raised from 16 to 18 years." There was a remit urging the Government to establish a farm house for epileptic, degenerate and feeble-mind-ed persons (having m mind the appalling reproduction of the like), on which Dr. Hilda Northcroft, a wellknown Auckland medico, spoke freely her mind. "There are fit people, m good circumstances," she said, "who can produce healthy offsprings and bring them up m comfort who are quite deliberately limiting their families (m some cases refusing to have children altogether), whilst the unfit— those unfortunates who are breeding lmbecilea and sub-normals — are going on Increasing absolutely without limit. One sees this again and again, particularly, m the case' of unmarried mothers. Very often we can excuse girls for their first fall, on the ground of ignorance — but that excuse does not apply a second time and these girls Very often err a second time. We see this at the St. Mary's Homeß. Sometimes, after as long as three years even at the home, these girls go out into the world again with every encouragement to go straight— and m a few months we have them returning m the same condition, going to bring ANOTHER SUB-NORMAL, DEGENERATE child into the world. ["Truth" was subsequently informed that some women of this class have returned to St. Mary's three and even four timea, to bear their awful illegitimates.] "The propogatlon of the unfit," continued Dr. Northcrpft, "has become a serious— a most serious— and a desperate problem. At the last Medical Congress held m Wellington an appalling picture was drawn of the number of sub-normal children m New Zealand — estimated at no less than 37 per cent. Surely this is a most desperate situation; an awful condition ofaffairs m a young country like this! Unless we can m some way prevent the propagation of the sub-normal what sort of nation shall we be? What sort of race are we to become? Many of these sub-normal girls can lead happy, useful lives if they are placed somewhere where they can be protected from themselves; but when they are let loose they are a danger to themselves and to the community, and a much more serious menace to the race. We do not want New Zealand to be populated by such people, but unless we take pitoper measures to prevent it, that is what is going to happen." Conference carried the motion and then went on to discuss the vileness of men who attack by violence the innocence of children and the virtue of grown maidens or matrons. 'A motion instructing branches to set up sub-comniittees to record all cases of criminal assault occurring m their districts with a view to reporting to the next conference was carried, after which Miss Jackson determinedly moved: That use be made of the provision In the law to add flogging to the punishment of men convicted of criminal assaults on women, if such men are certified by two alienists as being of normal mental oapacity. The lady read newspaper extracts concerning several cases of rape, attempted criminal assault, indecent assault, carnally* knowing and interference with children, and said these were only a few of such cases reported m the last six months. FLOGGING HAD BEEN ADVOCATED by Judges and Magistrates for brutal men who did such things. There were some men whom no appeal could touch except the appeal of physical pain. There was sentimental talk about the brutality of flogging— about the "scar" It loft on the minds of the flogged and tho flogger, as well as on the back of the former" — but what about the scar left on the outraged woman? The effeot on a woman of being violated was lifelong. It left a sear — an indel-" ible scar— on mind and soul which time could never effaoe, and had a marked Impression on that woman's future happiness and health, all to her detriment Deep down In the unconscious mind of that outraged woman the wound would feßter for all time. The crime of murder was surely not less terrible than tho poisoning of mind and body that must result from sexual assaults on a pure woman. In the argument that flogging brutalised. It was Beemingly forgotten that a man who u9od violence towards women ana children for an awful purpose of sexuality was already a brute. Opposition wan offered the motion by the Chrlstchurch delegates on the ground that flogging was reactionary and only further brutalised. They held that there should bo some other "punishment to meet the crime"--something which went to the root of things. Mrs. Valder (Hamilton) expressed the opinion that juries would not convict If they knew flogging was to follow, to which a delegate retorted: "They would if there were women on the jury as there should be," and Dr. Northcroft declared that brutal MEN WHO OUTRAGED VIRTUE with violence well deserved flogging. "If no one elso would flog them, I would be inclined to do it myself, declared the mover of tho motion, amid applause. , . „, Tho opinion was expressed by Miss Begg, of Dunedin. that no amount of flogging would provent such men from assaulting women — they were degenerates who should be specially dealt with. They should go further than flogging. Drastic measures were required, and they should take away from such men all power to commit thoto offences. Tho motion for flogging waß defeated on tho casting voto of the chairwoman (Dr, do )a Mere being Jn tho chair at the time) arid the follow-

ing remit from the South was then carried: That, m view of public opinion being aroused by certain cases of criminal assault, and to a demand that flogging should be added to the sentence, this Conference strongly protests against this treatment as being both revengeful and brutalisikig, both to the offender and the administrator; also, flogging has generally been accompanied by a short sentence, the man again being turned loose to repeat his offences. This Conference earnestly advocates the long, indeterminate sentence, with more up-to-date reformative treatment. . There wac some, frank talk by women on the SUBJECT OF STERILISATION on the following motion, submitted by Miss Jackson, of Auckland: That the Government be urged to consider the question, if so advised by able and expert authority, of making provision m the • Isiw whereby, after a second conviction for criminal assault, the convicted person shall submit to an operation for complete sterilisation. In the report of the Prisons' Board, said the mover, it was provided that before sentence was passed on a person convicted bf criminal assault, expert medical evidence should be called to report on the prisoner, that indeterminate sentences should be sanctioned, and that persons so sentenced should be segregated and subjected, under proper safeguards, to any medical or surgical treatment which might be deemed necessary or expedient, either for their own good or m the public interest. These and similar recommendations appeared to be gaining favor m the public mind as a means of combating sexual crimes, and they held out some hopes of the arrest of racial degeneration. Not only would enlightened means of dealing with the sexual pervert tend towards the diminution of sexual crimes, but would also tend ti lower the birthrate m the ranks of the unfit. Dosexualisation, which she asked Conference to support, was suggested m cases of conviction for a second time of criminal assault. It should be followed by a year's detention m a labor colony. For a first offence, the option of an indeterminate sentence or surgical operation was perhaps just, but for a second offence there should be no option. Sexual perverts were a menace to society, their powers of voluntarysexual . control were m abeyance and their, moral sense was warped. They could not help their misdoings even if they would; they were creatures of bestial impulse, no more fit to be at large .- with liberty .. to injure- women, and children than the insane, for they were QUITE AS DANGEROUS — and m some respects more so. The benefits of operation for desexualisation of such creatures would be its Influence m preventing indecent assaults by lessening the impulse to commit such assaults and the prevention m the passing on of venereal disease by such creatures. The extent of these benefits was not absolutely determined, but further research would doubtless be brought to bear on the subject before legislation provided for compulsory surgical operation. It had to be remembered, too, that Buch legislation would not effect men only, said the speaker. There were also oversexed women and women sexual perverts who were also a source bf danger to the health and morals of the community. A woman necessarily advocated such measures as these with extreme reluctance, for a student of sexual problems could not fail to see that the endeavor to adjust misfits m the machinery of life was apt to imperil the equilibrium of the whole of the mechanism. But man was made free to chose right from wrong and to work out his own salvation through his mistakes and failures, and he formed character In his progress. Miss Begg, an able young lady from Dunedin, who had some years' experience of social -work m America, waß asked for her opinion on the subject, and she stated that she had known of cases m which, with the consent of the mother, over-sexed girls who threatened t,o develop Into prostitutes were SURGICALLY OPERATED ON to dull their desires and render them sterile. Dr. Hilda Northcroft contributed some valuable remarks on the subject. Generally considered, she said, the majority of men guilty of indecent assaults on women were not normal, and they were dangerous to all women, to themselves, and to the community at large. The problem was to know what to do with them. They were a menace to society. The country wanted more population. It was said, but it did not want population of the sort these men would stook it with, for their children would be degenerato and as dangerous as themselves. No, we did not want such children. Regarding the contention that such legislation as proposed was dangerous, the recommendation of the Prisons' Board was to the effect that the general run of men who committed unnatural offences were not normal and it recommended that they should be dealt with scientifically by expert medical examination and, If necessary, surgical treatment, and that In the case of a man being convicted of a sexuul offence ugainst n child, he be given the option of an Indeterminate Bentenco or submitting himself to- an operation for dcscxualisation, to be followed by one year's detention on a special farm. But the quostior. as to whether desexualisatJon was going to completely got over tho troublo was one that had not yet been solved. It had not been proved that desexuallsatlon would end tho troublo In an Individual. Personally, she thought that these kind of people should bo operated on m their Infancy to prevent the trouble, but at that time they had not committed any crime against tho law, so that recourse was impracticable. But until something further was done to prevent the birth of theao dangerous people something would have to bo done with them when they reached the ago to break the law. Dosexualipation would, at any rato, do no harm m that direction — It would prevent such degenerates from PROPAGATING THEIR SPECIES, which would be one Jmmonße advantftgo. After being do-sexed, the man should be kept for at least a year under observation — under special con<jjtion — to have ht« mental attitude altered, one factor In tho reformation of dcslrefl being plenty of: work and

occupation to consume their energy. Unfortunately there "was no proof .that the operation m itself would be fully reformative. The motion was withdrawn m favor of the following amendment, which was carried: That all persons convicted of sexual offences against children, or unnatural offences, should be given the opportunity of serving an Inderterminate sentence m self-supporting farm homes or submitting to an operation for desexualisation, such operation to be followed by one year's ! detention on a special farm. ; The rather unpalatable matter of , venereal disease was the next social I problem to be tackled by the willing j workers of the Conference, who sailed I straight ahead on all the matters pertaining to their programme, and talked quite frankly, with all good sense ignoring the fact that two male reporters were m attendance. Sister Hannah moved to Urge the Government to legislate for compulsory notification, saying that Auckland wanted compulsion m thi'a matter (1) as a recognition that no form of lawlessness should have liberty to work mischief to the hurt of the community; (2) to prevent hideous cruelty to 'helpless children; (3) to protect innocent and rightliving people from suffering; (4) to teach delinquents that the taws of New Zealand did not shelter and conceal vice; and (5) because compulsion and first-class free clinics for treatment were an attempt to work up to better things. Compulsion was opposed by the Dunedin delegates, who said that their branch would only agree v to "conditional" notification, ' but Dr. Northcroft strongly supported the motion, instancing ' SEVERAL AWFUL ASPECTS of the disease, particularly its effects on innocent children, many of whom were being treated for forms of Qpthalmia and other complaints through coming m contact with articles used by infected parents and others. It was an impressive denunciation of the horrors of venereal disease and the need for its more stringent combating, but it didn't move the southern delegates to get away from their guns (Miss M. England, of Wellington, also opposing on behalf of Wellington). There were some waverers from other .centres, and to convert these the motion was amended tq read: to enact legislation to give effeot to the recommendation of the V.D. Commission, and m this f6rm it was agreed to, only the southerners voting against The good ladies, then went on to discuss the men who abandon their wives and children to starvation and worse, Miss Cardale moving that the Government be requested to pay for his work all the time the man who was committed to prison for non-com-pliance, with a maintenance order. She explained that prisoners who served sentences under three months were not paid for their work, and it was during this first three months more than any other time perhaps that; the deserted wife — who generally had children — was m need of money. Dr. Northcroft asked why the Government should not be asked to pay married men serving short sentences on any other charge, so that the money earned could go to the support of their families, but Sister Hannah said she did not think there was any chance of the Government agreeing to this, so the suggestion was not acted on. Miss Runciman considered that a young country like New Zealand should not have so many cases of wives and children hieing deserted and left a charge on relations or on the community, whilst the men responsible went scot-free. She kne,w of one case m Dunedin m which A WOMAN WITH SIX CHILDREN under the age of fourteen had been deserted, and. although the woman went out to work herself she could not earn much and it cost the community pounds a week to maintain the children. The bright husband and father had cleared off to the other side, and although the police had located him there, owing to some flaw In the law he got off and nothing was done to him. That was only one of very many such cases, and the woman and children suffered all the time, year m and year out. Men left Auckland and went south, or vice versa, and the police could not trace them. Two men got away f roni Auckland harbor with a boat some time ago and sailed the craft to Australia. The police could find them all right, and could spend goodness knows how many poundß to bring them back here, but they very seldom got deserting husbands. Even when orders were made against husbands they were nearly always In arrears and the wife did not get the money she should be entitled to by law. That good Salvation Army lady, Adjutant Gordon, also had something to say on this subject, which she declared she was "very hot" on. She declared that if it was not for fathers shamefully shirking their duties and responsibilities there would not be one quarter of the appeals for charitable aid that were made every week to the authorities. It was a deplorable, an appalling, situation when these men were allowed to so shirk their/responsibilities* What was wanted waa a farm, colony where defaulting husbands should be made to work, and work hard to support their wives and children if they would not do it m the regular way. It was a terrible thing to see the mothers of five and six children going on washing and scrubbing to earn a bare crust for the little ones, whilst the lazy, heartleßs father was getting three square meals a day, and his BEER AND CIGARETTES, too. Sho hoped the Council would do something to have these men brought to book. The motion was carried, after which there waß a further resolution by Mrs. Fraer urging branches of the National Council of Women to try and arouse public opinion on the subject of deserting husbands. Speaking to this, Miss Runciman blamed public apathy to a largo extent for the prevalence of wife desertion. There was a law In operation against these men, but it wns not by any means fully applied. There waa not much public opinion against those wife-desertera. They were received In other homes than their own and wont about shamelessly whilst their wives and children wore destitute. If public opinion was strong against these men there would be loss of this disgraceful abandonment of wives and children. The resolution to Invoke public resentment against this class of waster was carried unanimously.

At a recent meeting of a branch of the Women's Freedom League a speaker stated that the reason a ship was referred to as "she" by men was because it was always so graceful. There are many other reasons often given, but there is only one true. A man always refers to anything as "she"— a motor car, a gun, or any complicated machine — which occasions him a great deal of trouble m the managing of it.