A "Trap for Girls."

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 44, 14 September 1870, Page 7

A "Trap for Girls."

In the Ilobart Town. Mercury of the 18th ultimo there appeared an advertisement for twenty respectable females to proceed to Melbourne as waitresses, for which they were to receive a salary of 30d per week, with a free passage to Melbourne. An apology was offered to the readers of the j Mercury, the next day, that such an ad- j vertiscnent should have found a place in ! the paper, and some severe comments were ' made in the editorial columns, exposing what is termed a " most hellish plot to entice poor girls to their ruin." "If, thus warned (the article goes on to say), girls will accept such employment, and for the sake of 30s a-week ruin body and soul, they do it with their eyes open. No girl having any self respect would risk such degradation : no girl that is not prepared to be driven to a life of prostitution within a very few months would accept such employment at any rate of wages. If any girl thinks of giving her services as a waitress, and of binding herself ' to make herself otherwise useful,' let her, as she values the good opinion of her neighbors, avoid the temptation. If any ignorant or innocent girl has been already entrapped into any such agreement, let her get in writing what is meant by making herself ' generally useful.' It is to make an exhibition !of herself; to serve, in a half-naked state, ! drinks to the fast young men, or for that matter old ones, too; in that state to dance ', with them ; to quietly submit to any in- , suit or indignity that may be offered to her ; to be laughed at and turned off if she , resents any liberty taken with her. Ts any ! parent or guardian—is any girl prepared I for this? If not, neither parent, guardian, ', nor child need fear to treat with contempt \ any threat that may be usi'd for breach of agreement."