IMMORALITY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18051, 27 September 1920, Page 3

IMMORALITY.

CONDITIONS IN DUNEDIN.

REV. V. G. B. KING IN REPLY. Tho statements mado by tho Rev. V. G. B. King in tho annual report of the Men's Mission, which ho controls, and at the annual meeting of tho mission as 10 tl.o serious incroaso of immorality in this community, have naturally elicited considerable comment of a widely varied character. On Friday the views were published of several social workors who held that Mr King had exaggerated his case, and who whilo admitting tho prevalence of moral laxity, wero disinclined to believe- that it had recently shown any noticeable increase. Commenting on theso views subsequently, Mr King said it was only right that ho should make- clear the position as it appeared to him, because it was evident that somo of those who had been interviewed had a misconception as to the bearing cf his remarks at the mission meeting. Any statements he had mado in his annual ieport were qualified by the fact that they occurred in a personal report, and wero the expression of his own experience during tho past 12 months. "I quite realise," said Mr King, "that in comparison with other places _ Dunedin undoubtedly holds prido of place in regard to moral tone, but I hold most emphatically to the statement that immorality ;is greatly on the increase" This was borne out by the fact that cases <f a certain depraved typo of immorality with whioh he had not previously had to deal wore now being brought under his notice He was using the term immorality in a wide sense, and including under it unisexual vice. So serious has the position become in- regard to the matter that a meeting of olergymon of various denominations and headmasters from some of the public schools was recently held with a view to taking steps to combat this form of immorality. "Tho public may be left to judge," said Mr King, "as to the value of the opinion of my anonymous critics, by the exaggerated manner in which they have accused me of suggesting that 'Dunedin is a city of infamy and vice.' Neither in my written reports or in the words I used did I make any such suggestion. I said, and I still maintain, that there ha s been an appalling increase in immorality during the past year, and reference to my report will show that I came to this opinion in 60 far as my own experience went." In further support of his position Mr King pointed out that according to a.ieport recently presented to the House by the Minister of Publip Health, there were at present 65 oases undergoing treatment for venereal trouble at the Dunedin Hospital. These, of course, were in addition to the unknown number being treated privately. Colonel Collins, in his speech when the Social Hygiene Bill was before the House, made tho astounding statement that 80 per cent, of all the operations perform jd en women were due to gonorrheal trouble. A woman who takes a prominent part in the work of one of our social organisations said that from what had come to her own knowledge she agreed with every word that Mr King had said. She believes there has been a great increase of immorality during the last two years, and finds tins belief confirmed by ihe experiences of others to whom she has spoken. She holds that much of it is due to the high cost of living, and asked if it was not something of a mystery how many girls in offices managed to dress eo extravagantly as they did. It might also to some extent be due to t\e war. Mrs Ansell, of the Society for the Protection of Women, and Children, paid that her work was of a different type from that of Mr King, and she knew very little of the conditions of which he spoke. The cases with which her society dealt had been maintaining a remarkably level average for the past five years. A leading chemist, who was interviewed, was emphatically of the opinion that ft'r King was right He referred to sevei-al letters he had received within the past few days, both from married and single people, appealing for drugs for illegal purposes. Never a week went by, he said, without cases of immorality coming under his notice. Such letters as those mentioned he simply burned. Sometimes the samo request was brazenly proferred across the counter, and tho would-be customer was ordered out of the shop. He also drew attention to the extravagant style of living of many shop girls, and • expressed the opinion that lack of home life was at the root of the whole trouble. He is convinced from his experience not only that &a situation is bad, but that of late it has been rapidly growing worse. So serious does ho feel it to bo, that in his opinion the best way out of the difficulty would be the establishment of licensed houses.