Official Visitors to Prisons.

White Ribbon, Volume 3, Issue 30, 1 December 1897, Page 8

Official Visitors to Prisons.

The following letter has been addressed to the Premier:

Christchurch, Nov. 25, 1897. The Honourable the Premier of New Zealand. Sir, We, the undersigned officers of the various societies of women in Christchurch, beg to draw the attention of the Government to the fact that we are not asking for women to be appointed as Justices of the Peace. We ask that the women official visitors to our gaols may be endowed with the powers of Justices of the Peace in their capacity as cfficial visitors to prisons. We are, &0., Ada Wells, President Canterbury Women’s Institute; Frances Fletcher, Hon. Sec. Canterbury Women’s Institute; M. M. Robison, President Women’s Political Association, Christchurch; M. Bone, Hon. Sec. Women’s Political Association, Christchurch ; K. W. Sheppard, President Women’s Christian Temperance Union; F. Cole, Hon. Sec. Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Resolved—* 4 That this Association of men and women heartily supports the prayer of the memorial.”—H. G. Ell, President Progressive Liberal Association ; D. Lumsden, Acting Secretary. The reply from the Premier to the above was to the effect that the law would require to be amended before women could be endowed with the powers of visaing Justices. It is evident that the Government will do nothing in this direction until compelled. Theie is nothing for it but for every woman’s society in the colony to arouse public sympathy on the question. It is little use having women as official visitors to our jails, unless they have the same powers as men visitors.