PROTECTIVE WORK

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2286, 21 October 1914, Page 2

PROTECTIVE WORK

..WHAT WOMEN ARE DOING. The seventeenth annual meeting of the Society for the Protection of Women and Ohrildren was held in No. 1 committee-room of the Town Hall last evening. The Hon. J. 6. W. Aitken, M.L.0., presided. In lis introductory remarks, the chairman touched upon the years in which he had been associated with the society, and greatly deplored at such a t-irno in our civilisation as this there should be such need 111 Wellington for its work. It should havo been unnecessary, but one liad only , to look at the annual report to see how greatly it was needed. Ho was amazed to see that it had dealt with 99 cases during the' yeaT—practically two cases a week. A very bad feature were the cases of brutality' that were revealed, cases unfortuimtoly that did not seem to decrease in numbers. The annual report presented at the meeting stated, iutor alia, that 22 meetings had been held —with average attendance 7—300 viists paid by the secretary, and 400 visits received,, 253 letters received, and 400 written, by the secretary, The total number of cases dealt wtih sinco the society started was 1119—99 oases being new this year. These were classified as follows:—Maintenance of parents, 2; maintenance of wives and children, 3; maintenance and sparation, 6; maintenance sought, 8; maintenance of children (8), 6; homo found for children (5), 3; children committed (2), 2; maintenance of illegitimate children, 6; girls cruelly treated, 3; cruelty to wives, 6; neglected children (13), >d; alleged neglected children (14), 9; inquiries for girls, 3; unmanageable girl, 1; girl removed from undesirable home, 1; children deserted by mother, 2; nursing homo arranged, 4; inquiries for a mother, 1; wife desertion. 3; advice and help on various matters, 25; criminal assaults (one child Id and another 4-} years of age), 2. In !31 cases advice has been asked from hon. solicitors, and in 8 cases that were brought to Court the society was successful in 7. The co-operation of other women's societies had been given in various deputations to the Prime. Minister and other Ministers, in matters affecting women and children, and various protests had been lodged. A resolution showing the need' for police women in safeguarding children in publio places bad been made to the Government. The necessity for the society was evident in the increase iu tho nuijiher of cases of neglect and ill-treatment, and in the many instances where it- had been the means of healing family breaches. Various acknowledgements were mado by tho committee for help, advice, and gifts, and while thanking subscribers and the general public for support, the committee urged continued assi.stanco in the increasing need of. the society, and is confident that generous support will bo forthcoming. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, Lady Stout referred to tho deputation of various women's j societies that had "waited • upon tho Prime Minister and tho Hon. H.. D. Bell, the Hon. A. L. Herdman, and tho Hon. James Allen, in' matters relating to womon and children, particularly _in regard to tho clause in the Criminal Code Amendment Bill • which made it nocesaary to havo the written consent of the Attorney-General before a. prosecution for orimmal assault oan take place when the girl_ is betwoen the ages of twelve and eighteen. In England and, in New Zealand, the speaker said, in refuting the argument that blackmail would be prevalent, it had been 'proved that there had been no cases of blackmail between those ages, only when the girl was over twenty-three or twenty-four years of age. The societies emphatically protested against any interference with justice in sudh matters. Girls had to do protected as well as boys. .They wanted further legislation providing women inspectors for gaols, women Justices of tile Peace, women doctors for mental asylums, women police, and women on. juries. Dr. Platts Mills seconded the motion and spoka of , the net work that had devolved upon tho society in the maintaiuance of the children of reservists who liad gone to tho war. She also spoke of the need for corporation among the various women's societies. Oilier speakers during the evening were Mrs. W. Evans, the Rev. Father O'Connell, the Rev. A. H. Hobday, Mr. A. R. Atkinson, the Mayor and Mayoress, tho Rev. Mr. Oook, and others. Reference was made to the excellent work for the society that had been done by its agent, Mrs. Belwortliy. ' The election of officers was as follows:—President, Lady Stout (re-elect-ed) ; vioe-presidents, Mesdamos W, Evans, 0. H. Izard, A. R. Atkinson, and A. Hoby; hon. treasurer, Mrs. I. Kirkcaldie; committee, Mesdames Ponsonby, Sprott, Algar, I'. C. Williams, J. R.. Glasson, M'Gavin, Corrigau, WF. Ward, Winder, Glover, M'Laren, Luke, C. Richardson, Chatfield, P. M. 13. Fisher, Hadfield, Macarthy, Raid, the Rev. Mother Mary Joseph Aubert, Dr. Platts-Mills, Misses Coates, Parlane, E. B; Brown, Stewart: secretary, Mrs. Bel worthy; trustees, the Hon. J. G. W. Aitken, the Hon. H. D. Bell, Messrs. J. R. Blair, E. Tregear, and the Rev. W. A. Evans; hon. solicitors, the Hon. H. D. Bell, Messrs. C. H. tzard, A. R. Atkinson, J. Lofran Stout, H. Cooper (Palmoreton North), Field, T. C. A. Hislop, .Myers, Morison, Young, Webb, R. F. Smith, G. H. Fell, G. Lloyd (Dannevirke), T. Neave, 0. E. Stout, and S. A. Atkinson, do la Jla.ro, Hamilton, and Richmond; hon. physicians,' Dr. E. Platts-Mills, Dr. Agnes Bennett, Dr. Alice Gow, Dr. Mackenzie, Dr. Campbell Neil!, and Dr. R. Stout. The following resolution proposed by Dr. Platts-Mills, and seconded by Mrs. M'Laren, was passed:—"That this meeting deplores the failure of the Legislative Council to endorse tho Bill passed by the House of Representatives in favour of the repeal of Section 20 the Factories Act, reducing the hours of women workers in woollen mills from 48 hours to 45, the statutory number in all the other industries." Apologies were read at tho meeting from the Hon. A. L. Herdman, Dr. Newman, M.P., Mrs. A. R. Atkinson, tho Rev. Van Staveran, and Mrs. Algar Williams.'