PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 12

PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY. The annual meeting of the above society was held on Tuesday, May 3, in the Town Hall, the Rev. Canon Gurzon-Siggers being in the chair. There were a number of lady supporters present, also the Hon. J. T. Paul, M.L.C., Messrs James Allen and J. F. Arnold, M.P.'s, Mr R. Gilkison, Mr Duncan Wright, Mr J. E. MacManus, and others. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, made reference to several clauses contained in it, and then entered upon an illuminating dissertation and explanation of the scope and intention of the new Destitute Pea-sons Act prepared by the Attorney-general. ' It had been, very regretful, he said, to notice in this, the eleventh year of the society's life, the exceptionally large number of young unmarried mothers about the age of 16 years who came within the society's reach. This was a very aad reflection on the general moral tone of the community. Speaking further, he said there was one point he desired to «al! attention to with the thought that the legislators present might see fit to take some action in the matter, for he realy thought the time had come when legislation might fittingly be applied to this question. It was this. Supposing a man in another colony committed an .offence, and. after serving his punishment, reformed and led ■a good useful life. He might then come to New Zealand and reside here for a number of years, being throughout that time a man whom the community should value. Then some person might get an inkling of the past, and send to the colony of his offence, and, securing particulars of his crime and punishment, brutally confront the man with his past record and cause him unutterable confusion and dismay. In his opinion such an action should be made a criminal offence. If, after the lapse of a certain time from an offence, and during that time the individual has been living a blameless life, some pereon were to rake up his past, then that person should be criminally liable. With regard to the establishment of a. creche, there was a good deal to be said in its favour. He did not think that as a society they would be in favour of the establishment of merely one central institution in a city of the size of Dunedin. What they thought would be a better scheme would be the establishment in each of the different parts of the city of a home in charge of some motherly person who could attend to the wants of that neighbourhood, and permit the mothers desirous of doing so to go out and earn money during the day. In- a central creche, on the other hand, the infants might be herded together indiscriminately with very little practical benefit. The society particularly wanted the Charitable Aid Board to provid; funds for the payment of motherly persons who would be able to do a little more than nursing. The position was that there was a very large number of cases of women who could not leave their homes in order to receive attention at maternity homes, because there was none to take their placesin tlheir families, and they were therefore obliged to leave their beds before they had sufficiently recuperated. The result was that their health was injuriously affected and the health of their children also. Mothers would often be specially benefited l by a week or a fortnight's special rest, but in the case of wprkmen receiving perhaps not more than £3 per week, or possibly not so much, this wa6 impossible. It was not even possible for such men to provide i trained nurses, and therefore the employ- ' nrißrtS some cuch motherly persons as he

had indicated would prove of very great benefit in very many cases. The speaker dealt at length upon the provisions of the Destitute Persons Act which came before Parliament last year, and which will again be brought forward this year. He paid a very high tribute of admiration to the sympathetic feeling evinced by the Hon. J. G. Findlay, and characterised the measure itself ae one of the wisest, most useful, and comprehensive imaginable. It aimed at remedying in effective fashion much that was unsatisfactory in relation to illegitimacy, drunkenness, laziness, wife desertion, etc. He sincerely hoped the indeterminate sentence would be instituted, and also that labour colonies might be provided in order to instil into those affected with laziness the desire for work which would then render them selfsupporting and ho longer a burden upon the community. Another feature provided in the bill was possible, reciprocity with the Australian States, and this would de much to prevent wife desertion and child desertion. Another admirable design for the prevention of the latter was the proviso for registration of the. father's name on a magistrate granting an order of paternity. Altogether the chairman gave a complete resume of the features of the bill, and, in conclusion, formally moved the adoption of the report and balance sheet. To all the officers of the society, he said, they owned their sincere thanks for the great help rendered them at various times and in different ways. Mr James Allen, M.P., seconded the adoption of the report in a brief speech, j He said that he had no doubt the legisla- • tion referred to would go upon the Statute ' Book during the coming session. There had I been too much of a rush last year to permit j of it being brought forward and passed to completion. He did not know, however, that the bill was everything that could be desired. Legislation could not do everything. It might do much, but it could not make men good. The only way to do that was to get the men to reform themselves. Even if the Legislature could, by enactment, make men good, he did not know that it should do so in view of the harm it would do to the individuality , •of the person. In regard to the bill specially referred to, it was in his opinion, largely from Dunedin that the agitation for that legislation emanated,. and he regarded that as distincty to he ciy's credit. So far as the establishment of labour colonies was concerned, much that he had read about them was distinctly favourable, and he hoped the day would come when New Zealand would, profit by the experience of Belgium, Denmark, and Germany in this respect. In conclusion, he spoke of the good being done by the society, and regarded it as highly satisfactory that Dunedin possessed so manysocieties and willing workers willing to contend with social difficulties. Dr Siedeberg, in speaking to the report, remarked that with regard to the establishment of a creche, she thought it would be a matter for the local body—the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board —rather than the State, for the reason that, if it were provided, many of those now receiving support from that body would be . able to leave their children in custody and earn money for their support, and. thus relieve the financial strain upon the board. She could speak in support of what the chairman had said about visiting housekeepers for the working men. Her experience was distinctly that these would be invaluable. The annual report was then adopted, and the election of officebearers proceeded with. All last year's officials were reelected withaut opposition. The mover and seconder of each proposal made brief speeches, nil havins - inference to the work of the sncietv and the various items referred to in the chairman's address. The president is the Rev. W. Curzon-Siogers, and the vice-presidents Mr ,T. M. Gallaway and Mrs Revnolds. A vote thanks was firwirded the honorarv solicitors (Messrs Gilkison. Adams. Bedford and Oallan) for the wo'k they had done. The chairman remarked that a Treat deal of work was done bv these gentlemen, although their efficiency was such that but few of the cases appeared in the courts 1 . The meeting terminated with the passing of the usual votes of thanks.

The following l is_ the annual report presented at the meeting' in the Town. Hall on the 31st May: " We owe it to the public who> subscribe ! to our funds and to those who in other ways sympathise with our work to present to them an annual renort. TO a *vu><» it

to those whom we serve that our annual report shall not reveal anything which can militate against _ their interests by hallmarking them with their past misfortunes. Hence it is impossible for us to give a wordy report. It is our principal aim to do all the good we can without publicity. Much of our work is unpublishable, and though we say we have dealt with 181 cases during the year we do not thereby include the many cases in which advice' is given, and, when acted upon, the trouble removed, or the large number of cases in which our society acts as a kind of clearing house whereby we send on cases to the bodiets whose work it is to deal with them. Yet of our 181 cases we can give a general summary which speaks for itself, as regards some of them at any rate. There have been 10 cases of ill-usage from husbands, not caused by drink, in some of which language indescribable was added to the ill-usage, three of unmanageable girls, two of uncontrollable boys, six of neglected children, and one of management of a husband's money, the husband being in another colony, whilst the wife's mind was somewhat unhinged, the children therefore needing protection. On this and other cases we are again constrained to urge for the provision of a home of observation for casae not suitable for a mental asylum, yet neeWing watching. have been 10 oases of individuals watched over till sent to a hospital, and four till sent to the Rock and Pillar Sanatorium; 26 of quarrels between husband and wife, of which only two oame before the Police Court, the other j 24- being satisfactorily arranged: 15 of illegitimacy, some of these being the children of mothers of the age of 16 or under; 19 cases of children for whom registered' homes were found, in addition to the formerly, mentioned illegitimates; five cases of runaway husband; 22 of drunken husbands ; five of drunken wives; 35 to whom, relief has been given, and for whom work was found, in addition to eight cases of , homes provided for girls, to the owners | of whom our best thanks are due for giving I these girls a chance to redeem the past by ! kindly supervision and counsel. The com- j mittee is indebted to all organisations for I much assistance, to the police for courteous ] and willing help, to the Salvation Army for invaluable support, to the press for strong advocacy, to Dr Siedeberg for many hours and much skill, to Messrs Adams. Callan, Bedford, and Gilkison (hoh. solicitors) for invaluable services and time freely and ungrudgingly given; to Mr D. Wright, Mr Cumrriing-s, and the . Rev. Axelsen "for many acts '"Of assistance to the secretary; and last, because- most of all, to our seoretarv. whose tact and wise management and indefatigable toil is beyond all praise."