SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2527, 20 August 1902, Page 14

SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN .

The annual meeting of tho Society for the Protection of Women and Children was held in the Town Hall buildings on the 25th ult. Mr R. Chisholm (president) occupied 'the chair, and there was a fairiy good attendance.

The Secretary 'Mrs Anse'.i) read the report of. the society, which will be found elsewhero. -The balance sheet vvaa also laid on the table, showing a credit baiance of £1 18s 3d.

The Chairman, in moving the> adoption of the report, said it was concise, and' from a cursory glance over its contents one would easily be satisfied that the society had justified its existence. The report might be taken aa an index. The cases that lay behind these simple references weie connected with a, vory large amount of detail work, which had been gone about in a most judicious way. This wa3 only known to these who had come directly into touch v/ith , the indefat'gablo secretary, Mrs Ansell. lie, personal y, had no conception of the amount of mi=^ry prevailing in Dunedm till he had been associated with the society, and ho oould say confidently that there were not a fevr who had cause .to be thankful that such a coc:?ty had beon initiated -and %vas be-ing carried on in thie city. To those lady friends mentioned in the report the society owed a deep debt of gratitude. Et was easy for a.nyono to cut their hands in ' their- "pockets and give something to-rarda the support of the society, but it u-a? a great thing to find ladies so ready to give their servicps free, gratis, and for nothing. A cVht of giatitude w?.3 ako duo to Dr S'iedebe.rg find Misa Benjamin (honorary solicitoi) for their ser-vicr-3 The treasurer, Mrs Gordon MacdoiKi'd, bad also had a gcod deal of hard work during the year, and he icgretred a great many nc-oplo could not be brought to recognise tho necessity of contributing moro freely to-.va>\U the support of a society of this Icip-'J. But it v. as orly thaso who wore brought into direct touch vith the society who could know tho lmnierue amount of benefit its operations conferred. Touching on the item sc-t down in the balance s!:eet as the secretary's sa'arry, the Chairman said it coul'l not in any way be rngarded as a.n equivalent for the large amount of feervico Mr 3 Anse'.l ungrudgingly 1 offormed. Three yearo' experience of the ope-iations of the society in Dune-din had convinced h:m that v.-hile the Benevolent liictitution wns doing admirable work, there was one department that would never be a success until the «er- \ icc3 of a thoroughly competent female inspestor were procured — (Hear, I.ear.) He knew something about tl>e wtjrking of the institution, and it had often rrade his heart blec-d when, as chairman of tho institution, ca-iM of a peculiarly del.cate nature came before thorn. It wa3 unreasonable to fuppo3c that women who were suffering through no fault of their own would be- ahvay3 ready to sneak of their trrmblps fxcopt to those in whom they had the greatest cor<ndenc2. He thought that the community, Fooncr or later, would insist that the institution should have amongst its other officers a thoroughly competent female inspector. There were many cases of distress among wom&n aud children that wanted looking into more carefully. Ia conclusion, Mr Chwholm remarked that although tho society commenced in a very humble way, the interest in its operations was increasing. He had great pleasure in moving to adoption of the report. Mr Duncan Wright said !■? had been present at the meeting whon the society was inaugurated three year 3 ago, and the feeling he had on that occasion was the same as he now had. He noticed that Mr Ward was announced to lecture on the subject of " The New Chivalry," and he remembered that the first night of meettug he was inc-ined to aik the question, " Where waf our old chivalry?" They expressed the dcepert regard for that chivalry they were accustomed to in the old days, which was not so recognibed in society now, and that, he supposed, was the reason the fociety had beon kept in existence. Although the meeting was not a largo meeting, it was a satisfactory one, and ho tliGught that Mrs Ansell and the member 3of committee might feel that they had behind them a large constituency, and that there weie a gieat many prrsonp deeply interested 111 and watching the movements of the society In dealing with the 67 cases everybody must know that it was an extremely difficult and delicate task, and he did not Mknv how any woman with a womanly lieait could h:i\e dealt with them better than Mrs Ansell had Therefore the ■society wa.3 indebted to her. People, when the society got to be better know 11, ?nd it nag realised what the secretary had been doing, wolild stand by the bociety. He thought they were all familiar with the fact that Dunedin was never behind when proper cases and causes were- put bpfore the people lti goneroeity, liberality, aud kindliness. We did not know of any community more kindly than that among which we lived, and if they kegt " pegging away," to use the words of Abianam Lincoln, they would find people would stand by them and give them the assistance they deserved. He seconded the motion for the adoption of the report and balance sheet"

Mrs Macdonald mentioned that there were 76 subscribers, and that eight had given a guinoa, although the subscription was only ss. Nine had given 10s. Of course 76 subscriber? at 5s would never have paid for the work they had done. Mrs Macdonald also mentioned that two i.ew subscribers had joined that morning. The motion was then carried.

The Rev. W. A. Sinclair raid the Rev. W. Curzon-Siggera was unable to be present, but had asked liim to read a letter he had sent him. Ho (Mr Curzon-Siggers) proposed the re election of the previous year's office-bearers: — President, Mr R Cliisholm; vice-presidents— Mrs W. H. Reynolds and the Rev. W. Curzon-Siggers ; treasurer, Mrs Oordon Macdonald ; secretary, Mrs Ansel! ; committee— Mr .G. L. Denniston, Dr TEmily Siedeberg, Adjutant Waldie, Mr 3 Wise, Mrs Denniston, Mrs Michie, Mr 3 Withers, Miss Shand, and himself (the Rev. W. A. Sinclair) ; hon. solicitors— MiP3 Ethel Benjamin, Mr F. R Chapman, and Mr A. S. Adams. The Rev. Mr Sinclair then read tho letter from the Rev. Mr Curzon-Siggers, which was as follows: —

Thero is a kind of cruelty which the law cannot rectify, there is » misery and there are unhappy homes which nothing but a society of this kind can deal with. It ia a misfortune that we are living in an ago when, with all duo allowance for what ia done by churchvorkers, there remains so much that can only be done by a society which is independent of any ecclesiastical organisation. Such ia a fact, and we have to face it; hence tha need of this society. Some have thought the work of this «ouety_ unnesesaarij taej_ base Uitir tpjiclu-

sions on their ignorance of what the society is doing and has done. Those of us behind the society's work would be only too glad to be a.bie to feel that there was no need for such a society to exist. The privacy observed sofar as people who da wrong will allow is one great feature of our work. We strive to produce happmcs3 Without any exposure of the unhappy ones. That in only two cases we have "had to expose people in the law courts should tell m favour of our methods and speak of the care exercised. If we did not exist as a> society then cither wrongs must go unrightedi or exposure in the law court bs resorted to as a last resource. Now, there are many who will suffer anything lather than take legal proceedings- we are able to end the sufferings of these and many others without the publio knowing they have suffered. Surely it ia a good work to r.void the bringing of family disputes or ciueltiea into public notice, and so preserve that self-respect which otherwise would be lost by exposure. In this work cur worthy president has done a very great deal. Ths secretary is rpquircd to consult with some oi-oo i- o of thf society's committee, and the gieater mimb.r of consultations have of necessity been Tilth the president, therefore to him has fallen the hon's share of work. We cannot do better than re-elect him to a post for which he has shown gieat aptitude, as an ackiiowiedgrneat of tae work ha has done, and! nor. leaat in helping our excellent secretary. Continuing speaking, tho Rev. Mr Sinclair said ha seconded tbe re-election of those ladies and gentlemen. It gave him verygreat pleasure to be present at the meeting, and to testify with others -to the very great benefit the society wa3 to "a" large number cf people in the city. He had been associated with the work for wvou years— three in this city nnd three or four in Auckland. He regarded the society as doing, perhaps, its bc*t work in the deterrent it had over people. It was a note of terror to evildoers, and they feared a letter from tho society, if nothing else could be brought to boar upon them. They felt that they were a. power for good, and when the objects of the society were better known that power would be extended. He fully agreed with, the chairman's remarks about the appointment of a lady inspector. He had been in the mid-rt of a bitr fiftht in the north to> secure a similar official, but they were defeated by the Charitable Aid Board. Hewas convinced that such an appointment v.as absolutely necessary, for there was work to bo done that no man could do. Mr Sin-cla-'r concluded by referring in complimentary term* to thr* p-rcsid-ent and "other officials of tho society.

The motion for the re-election of the retiring office- bearers having been earned,

Mrs G. L. Denniston moved and Dr Emily Siedeherg o°condrd — -" Thai the number of the committee bo increased to 15." — This was carried, and the names of the Mayor (Mr J. A. Park), and Mrs Fry were added to the committee already appointed.

Votes of thanks wore accorded the pres3 and the hon. medical officer (Dr E. Siedeberg) and tho hon t solicitors (one of whom, Miss Benjamin, sent an Apology for absence). The meeting then ended.