WOMEN POLICE ARE STRONGLY URGED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17862, 2 June 1926, Page 15

WOMEN POLICE ARE STRONGLY URGED.

GIRLS SUFFER FROM LACK OF HOME CONTROL. (Special to the “Star.”) DUNEDIN, June 1. “ It might be modern squeamishness but the parson is told that he is speaking too plainly when branding sexual vice,” declared Canon Nevill at the annual meeting of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children this afternoon. He claimed that the women police should be the channels for the guidance of the wayward girls ovqr whom the parents could not exercise authority. “ This is not by any means a new subject,” said Canon Nevill, who held that the need for women police was so great that the society was justified in “ sticking to its guns ” in asking Parliament to move. The figures of illegitimacy in the Year Book were serious. For the past nine years the figures were: 1917, 1158; 1918, 1179; 1919, 1051; 1920, 1424; 1921, 1253; 1922, 1224; 1923, 1260; 1924, 1338. In a small Country like New Zealand the figures were serious, and it was due to two causes, lack of home influence or something more. In 1924 the illegitimate children were born as follows: Mothers of 13 years, 2: 14 years, 8; 15 years, 7; 16 years 31; 17 years 63. The increase in illegitimacy was not due to an increase in the general birth rate, for in 1925 the marriage rate had declined to below the average of fifteen years before the war. There was an absolute lack of control among many of the parents of New Zealand. He would say that they had refused to take control of the children. Parents went before the courts and stated that they had no authority over the boy of twelve or the girl of thirteen years. It was a most amazing statement to make. It 1 was a weakness on the parents’ part that the children would not submit to any authority. If the parents were so weak and declined to exercise control the inevitable result was an increase in For years he had considered methods for dealing with this delicate subject. It could not be handled in the church, for the parson would be told that he was speaking “ too plainly.” That might be modern squeamish ness. “He is told that he is speaking too plainly when branding sexual vices,” declared Canon Nevill. “ They won’t have straight speaking in church, so they must have it outside from women police.” Time and again the Government had been urged to provide women police. Was there a Black Hand in the house? The request was being shelved year after year. They knew women could handle carefully cases of unruly girls up to the age of eighteen years. Clergymen came into touch with women more than men and from his experience he knew' women would be wise and tactful in dealing with children. B>- their maternal training the women w'ere fit ted for a task which w'ould be difficult for a policeman. If the women were given authority to approach the g.'rls much w'ould be done to solve the problem. “ At any rate I do hope that this society will impress upon Parliament to give us _ women police ” concluded Canon Nevill.