HELP NEEDED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 885, 5 October 1933, Page 6

HELP NEEDED.

Protection of Women and Children. APPEAL TO BE LAUNCHED. The need for collectors was emphasised at a meeting: held yesterday afternoon to consider arrangements for the conduct of the street appeal on Friday, November 3. In aid of the funds of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children. The meeting: was that of members of the society, over whom the Rev P. Revell presided, and those present formed themselves Into a committee .with power to add. The organiser (Mr H. Sweney). addressing the meeting, said that he had been only too happy to comply with a request that he should organise the appeal, but he emphasised the fact that for success to be achieved they had to have an active organisation in control. He suggested that they should have at least three stalls on the dav, which cculcl be organised and run by members, for it was absolutely essential that they should have some organisation in the street to acquaint the public with the fact that there was spmething on. The next thing was to arrcmge for many collectors. for the success of the whole thing depended on collectors, collectors, and then more collectors. He appealed to members to bring forward anv idea that might assist the appeal. He and Miss E. J. M. Cardale were arranging to send out letters to various bodies and societies, and generally were leaving no stone unturned to make the appeal a success. Horrifying cages. Mr Revell declared that things had come to such a pass that the funds of the society were very low. The Government grant had been.cut out,'and It was hard to get in subscriptions. It was unfortunate that in a country like New Zealand and a city like Christchurch, such a society should have to function, and have to function so Rigorously. It was hard, to think that "here were so many children suffering, but there was a vast amount of work to be done, and the trouble was that it had to be done >n secret so that no one knew the details of the various -cases. The details of many of them would horrify the pub-' lu: if they were known. The public had no idea of the cases of cruelty and illusage of children. The public had. furthermore, no idea of the suffering endured by many women. It was not always physical violence: in a number of cases physical violence was the least of the things complained of, and there was much more bitter and much more cruel pain to be borne. The society’s duty was to protect women and help them. Often it was able to overcome misunderstandings on both sides, and often Miss Cardale had been able to bring families to a united view and save them from the way to ruination. He also would like to soy that collectors were the main thing, for they wanted to have posts at as many corners as possible. In conclusion, he would ask for as much help from the public as possible. Various offers to help with cake, produce, flower and variety stalls were received, while another suggestion was the conduct of a copper trail on the day of the appeal. Further arrangements will be discussed at the next meeting of those in charge of the appeal.