WHITE SLAVERY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20027, 10 March 1914, Page 5

WHITE SLAVERY.

MRS. FIELD DEFENDS HER STATEMENT. (Per Press Association.) • GISBORNE, March 9. Mrs. Field, of Nelson, to-day replied to Superintendent Kiely's statement in regard to her address before the -. W.C.T.U. Convention on whit© slavery. "I had no idea/ said Mrs. Field, "that my paper on the subject was going to receive so much publicity, but I do not regret it in the least, as it will arouse people to a knowledge of what is undoubtedly going on in this country and there is no better way of removing evils than by letting the light of publicity shine upon them. Of course, I cannot personally vouch for the Auckland cases, as I was only informed of them, but I have no reason to doubt the evidence of the person who made the charges. II heard," continued Mrs. Field, "a rumour to the effect that such things were going on in the North and I wrote for particulars. The letter I included in my paper was the result. Since it has become known that I have been interesting myself in the subject," the lady continued, "people have come to mo and given me specific instances which points only too clearly to the fact that thera is NEED FOR PROMPT MEASURES ..... . • being taken to stop attempts that .are being made to lure young girls to destruction. To show you that lam not the only person who believes that trafficking is going r on in New Zealand, I need only mention that the 'Dominion' newspaper a short time ago saw fit to I publish a full column article on this I very subject. New, when a reputable city daily sees fit to devote so much space to such a subject it is apparent that there is good reason that such a thing exists." "Can you give any specific instances," queried the reporter. "I can give you several," Mrs. Field at once replied. "There was a case not so long, ago whero a GIRL ANSWERED AN ADVERTISEMENT. for a tvpiste. The girl called on the address given and found that all the office - contained was a typewriter and a gill typi6te. The man who had inserted the advertisement wanted the girl to pay a good round sum and join him in the business. The girl's father, However, refused to sanction such a proposal. Some time afterwards another advertisement appeared stating that if the lady who had called applying for a , typiste's position would call again the I position was open for -her. In the | meantime the girl, who had been engaged at this particular office called on the mother of the girl who had applied and told her on no account to allow her daughter to enter the office. Thecaller had <• AN ALARMING STORY to relate. She said she had answered a similar advertisement to the one which had recently appeared. The man who kept the office told a plausible tale of a lucrative business and had offered to take her into partnership if she would" put a certain sum into the business. She paid over the money and some time -afterwards the man told her that he ■ wanted, ."-her to proceed by train to —— in order to type certain documents1 * therei The girl left by the train and was somewhat surprised when she hads -; proceeded some distance to find that her •-> •• partner was also on the train.- On ar--riving at ——-he told her to go to a certain hotel, and on going there found to her horror that the man had only engaged a single room and had entered their names in the hotel register as huslwrad and wife. The girl, who had spirit, defied the man to enter her room and in the morning returned to . "This," said Mrs. Field, "is only one of many similar cases "which I have been told of. It is very hard to get proof even in cases where evidence is almost overwhelming. Another case which shows how attempts are made to ENTRAP RESPECTABLE GIRLS, occurred in Christchurch, and the facts were related to me on the best of authority. Two girls arrived in Christchurch together seeking employment They hired a cab and requested the driver to take them to a respectable boarding-house. He drove them to a house which the girls did not like the look of and liked less the appearance of the woman who received them. They said the rooms 6!ld not suit and went back to the cabman and told him that unless he drove them at once to a respectable house they would report him. He did so and on making inquiries later the girls confirmed their suspicions that the house they had first been taken to was a brothel. " Another case occurred in Wellington, . and I also have this on reliable authority, A young girl missed a train to a suburban station and found that she had to wait some time for the" next one. While waiting on the station she was approached by a well-dressed woman, who is by means unknown in Wellington, and invited to come and have a cup of tea. They had not been long in the refreshment room when thoy were joined by a man, whom the woman introduced as her brother. Wine was produced and the girl invited to have a glass. She replied that she seldom touched wine, but on being pressed was on the point of consenting when she intercepted a look. There was no mistaking the man. The girl fled for her life and was lucky in escaping. I expect," said 'Mrs. Field, "to receive further proof of specific cases which will prove that what I as- . '.' sert is only too true. I may mention : that I submitted my paper to my husband who is a prominent man in Nelson and what I stated had his concurrence. It is possible that the Union will appoint a superintendent to look into this department and when this is / done there will undoubtedly be work \ for such an official to do." i AUCKLAND, March 9. In consequence of the fact that Auckland city and provinces have been prominently associated lately with statements about the white slavery, a pressman made extensive inquiries not only among the police, hut also among societies and individuals who work among the uoor and the criminal classes. The police state that they have been unable to discover any instances of the disappearance of girls due to the alleged traffic. Moreover, although it is stated that cases have occurred-, they have not received either complaints or requests to investigate. Several Aucki land women whose labour brings them in contact with a great number of girls were questioned, the concensus of opinion being that there appeared^ to be no organised effort in trafficking in girls here; yet there have been enough i isolated instances of attempts to lure .girls away from their homes to put every young woman on her guard and ; to make her very wary in her dealings with strangers. Another woman who ' moots and helps many girls coming to | the city in search of work, said that sh« knew of two cases of what was Buspici- ! onsly like white slavery, but although | she made inquiries, in both instances the I evidence was too slender to institute ; orooeedincs.