THE CARE OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 956, 25 October 1910, Page 9

THE CARE OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

. :'; : sbcißTY'S .SUMMARY OF THE .'-'i /:...'--..-..- TEAR. ■;.;;. Tho thirteenth .annual .report of-the Society, for the.Protection of.,the- Ileal th of; Women and' Children states that during' the year. 21 meetings were 'held, the average: attendance •' being 5.9.- The secretary has; paid 88. visits,' and 243 have been' received- at the office) She has written 26ii letters' and 157 'have- been' received bythe 'society. ,'-■'■'■■'■'■' ;:.... •'.-■'".-.'.-•■•; .Thofolldwing is -an - analysis of 73 .new cases,-in'akitig a'total of 811 since the 'in-, ception'. 'of the' society :—Maintenance '■■ of wife, .7; maintenance .of 'father.', and mother, 1;, maintenance .of mother, 3; maintenance ■of sister, .1; maintenance of -children. (5), 3; maintenance of .illegitiJnatje;'c(lildreil'•, (13),' '10; ; noglcct. and illtreatment of'chilurcn (5),. 2; neglect (9); '7-Ailltrcdtnient'of wifo, 3;' separation and mUi|nfffiftce/'9.5 flurjang hbme, aMngeil;'' 2;> destitution', (9), 4; children removed from bad home .(5),; 2; undesirable .'sur--roundings'remedied,' 1; situation' found, If lihcontrdllable'pfli'-l; homo'.'f6irnd,"'2; home, offered;. I,;'information'; sought, 1; inquiries fof.soh,. 2;. inquiry re home, .5; advice, 8. • In:addition,'many, cases already on the books have received further attention and advice, and help of various, kinds has .been, given..by different, members of. the committee in cases that did not fall within; the scope,-of the society's, programme, v ' . ..-.' -The honorary solicitors-have been consulted in 18: cases;. 15. of these cases were, settled- out' of ' court,, and -three-which were taken into court were settled in'the society's favour.:.-... -.."..... Thanks- are,'due to the Benevolent J Trustees, Alexandra .Home,';'.. Salvation Army, St. John Ambulance Nursing Guild, St. Helen's Hospital, the Convalescent Home, the Home of Compassion, and the' Ladies' Christian. Association. The latter, society's Dorcas Society in particular has given most generous help in soveral'cases.of-severe;destitution.- The ready .help ' of..,the . Inspector and Sul> Irispector. 'of Police. is recognised, and that,''too, of-'the^' -daily papers in ■'■ the matter of' advertising. Thanks are given ito i Messrs.',Whitcombe-: and- Tombs,' Shand, and R. Brown for l generous gifts of stationery;'-to the honorary ■ solicitors;, physicians, and auditors;' and to subscribers and the general public- (including, an anonymous donor of .£2o):for their.practical sympathy. - ■ ■•■■•_' '- An important matter 'which the society keenly urging is an amendment of the laws respecting the guardianship of children, so that it may be' impossible for a man, without good-cause, to remove his children': from their' mother's care without her consent, nor to leave them at his death in the. joint guardianship of-a person to whom: she objects; neither should it be possible for him to dictate in his will the religion in which they shall be brought up without reference- to their mother's' wishes. Her Excellency Lady Islington has ac-cepted-the position of patroness of the society, in place of the vacancy left by the departure of Lady Plunket. The incoming committee is as follows: President,. Mrs. -A. R. . Atkinson;: vicepresidents, Mrs. W. A. Evans, i M.A., and Mrs. C. Izard; lion, treasurer, Mrs. J. Kirkcaldio; general committee, Lady Stout, Mesdaines D. Nathan, Hoby, T. C. Williams, Wallis, C. Izard, J. R. Glasson, M'Gavin, Gordon Ponsonby, Corrigan, Rev...Mother Mary Joseph Aubert, Dr. Platts-Mills, Brigadier Glover, Misses Coates and E. B. Brown, and Nurse Holgate, Mrs.. W. H. Ward,, : Mrs. H. Gilmer; trustees, Messrs. J. G. W.■ Ait-, ken, 11. D. Bell, J. R. Blair, E. Tregear, and Rev. W. A. Evans; hon. solicitors, Messrs. A. R. Atkinson, ,H. D. Bell, C; H. Izard, J. Logan Stout, H. Cooper (Palmorston North), Meld, Hislop, Myers, Morison, Tanner, Young, Webb, and G. Lloyd (Dannevirko); hon. physicians, Dr. E. Platts-Mills, Dr. Agnes Bennett, Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, and Dr. Mackenzie; secretary, Mrs. W. A. Waters.