CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17321, 22 May 1918, Page 6

CITY POLICE COURT

Tuesday, Mat 2L (Before Mr H. A. Young, S.M.) Drunkenness.—A first offender, who did not appeal - , was fined the amount of his bail (20s), in dc.fa.ult 48 hours' imprisonment. Peter Black, for a similar offence, was fined 20, or 48 hours' imprisonmnent Alleged Forgery.—William Chajmian Docherty was charged that, on the 10th inst., he did forgo tho name of J. Stevenson to a cheque for £26 3s lOd, and did cause Marv AJexandrina Sutherland to act upon it as if it were genuine.'—Chief Detective Bishop applied for a remand until the 29 th inst., staiing that there were other charges pending.—Mr Scurr, for accused, asked for bail.—The Magistrate fixed bail at £100 in accused's own recognisance and one surety of £100, or two of £50. Remanded.—William John Murray," for whom Mr Hay appeared, was charged with an otVenoo against a girl at Port Molyneux on August 14. Ho was remanded to appear at Dunedin on Monday, bail being allowed.

Tho nineteenth annual report of tho Society for tho Protection of Women and Children states that tho year began with a credit balance of £24 Is, and ended with a balance of £23 lis 7d. Tho i icomo consisted of subscriptions £153 Os 3d, and Government grant £75. The expenditure totalled £235 10s 3d. Tho total amount received and disbursed for special casea was £1J.9 9s lOd. Sonao of this money was by order of the court and some by mutual arrangement made without recourse to legal proceedings. Tho society has had to deal with more cases this year than in any preceding year, and the cases, of desertion by husbands have increased, though it is satisfactory to record that such husbands have been compelled by orders of the court to maintain their wives and children. Cases of drunken husbande have not decreased, , though the society has evidence that 6 o cloak closing has been a benefit to somo famjhes. Cases of drunken women, uncontrollable girls, and illegitimacy have also increased. These cases reveal a state of morality that is a eerious blot on tho city. Ihe society dealt with five cases of girlmothers under 17 and throe under 16 years u a £® 1,1 city. Some of the stories about neglected homes would touch even hard hearts. The society has rescued 22 such children, some of whom are under ,ts protection. Amongst the other demands upon the society are the adoption of children by suitable foster-parents, the arranging of separation orders where it was irn- ) Possible for a man and wife to exist 'together, the obtaining of comfortable homes for invalids, and assisting tho aged to obtain the old-age pension, besides many inB terviews on many subjects which it is not possible to detail. Sixty-five court cases have been attended, in addition to 37 cases ir Li lC k representatives of the society were s jV™ 6 effect a satisfactory result without the aid of the court. Tho committee re--1 fu' 3 Government has done nothing in the matter of women patrols, though tho need is more urgent to-day than • it was even last year, when there was an implied promise on 'the part of the Government to institute patrols.