PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18872, 26 May 1923, Page 3

PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

ANNUAL. REPORT.' The twenty-third annual report of the committee of the Dunedin branch of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children 'States: The year began with a credit balance of £243 8a Id, and ended with a' balance of £360 4s 3d ‘on deposit and £23 Is in the current account. The income consisted of subscriptions £327 IGs. legacy £SO, special donation £2O, interest £l3 2s Id. The, chief items of an expenditure of £272 Os lid were. Salaries £196 73 2d, rent and light £l6 11a 4d, telephone £ll 14s 3d, typewriter £l2. Thp amount disbursed for special cases was £127 Is lid. The committee is indebted to the Mayor for the use of the Town Hall for its monthly meetings. The work of the collector deserves recognition, as also the 1 valuable help of Mrs Jackson and other social workers. The work of the secretary (Sister Nora) has been carried on with great energy and tact. The hon. treasurer (Dr Sicdeberg) has given medical aid freely whilst performing her duties of treasurer.^ The cases dealt with by the society. during the year ended April 30, 1933, areas follows: Applications for separation 19, maintenance 22, failure to maintain mother 4, dirt 4, adoptions 8, affiliations 7, unsatisfactory home conditions 21, maintenance of illegitimate children 2, referred to Charitable Aid Board 14, placed in institutions 3, uncontrollable girls 8, domestic differences settled 11, pensions applied for 8, homes found for elderly people 3, applications for domestic help 13,. employment sought 19, advice and help in various matters 56; —total, 224. The committee was deeply interested in reading the report of the Board of Health appointed by the Minister of Health concerning venereal diseases in New Zealand, fo find that its recommendations are, without exception, .upon the lines from time to time ad-, vocated by this society. It is to bo hoped that the Government will take steps to legislate upon the findings of .the commission. The committee regrets that so far the Government has not re-established those very useful and most necessary workers, the Women’s Patrol, and given them the status of women police. An improvement in the moral life of many girls and the prevention of their fall depend upon these patrols being reappointed, and it is difficult to see how any Government having the welfare of the dominion at heart is -so neglectful of the interests of girl life as to refuse to re-estab-lish a set of officers who more than justified their usefulness. The committee is felad to see that Parliament has passed an Act to alter section 215 ot the Grimes Act, thereby yielding to the society's repeated requests for this amendment in our social legislation. The committee regrets that the alteration only partially effects the amendment desired, and places tho youth under 21 in a worse position than the man above that age. The committee still presses the need ter legislation to prevent marriages in cases of communicable diseases, more especially venereal..,. • , ■ The need for a home for the care’ .of epileptic women and. children has been again urged upon the Government, and has elicited a promise to introduce legislation to give effect to the society’s proposals. ■ The question of abortion is one which the society is giving its serious attention to, and it will communicate with the Government on this subject. Tho coriimitteo again urges the' Government to bring in legislation giving the mother the right to the guardianship, of her .own children on equality with tho father, and giving discretion to the court in cases of dispute.