THE SOCIAL EVIL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 113, 6 February 1919, Page 6

THE SOCIAL EVIL

DEPUTATION TO SIR JAMES ALLEN

A PROBLEM FOR THE LAW

A deputation wailed upon Sir Jarue9 Allen and the Hon. J. A. Hanan jester day afternoon to talk with them aboui the measures that in their opinion were needed to deal with what is usually euphemistically termed "the social evil." The deputation did not make clear anything at all it asked for except that men and women should 'be placed on exactly the same footing under the law in regard to offences connected with houses of illfame and prostitution.

The first speaker called upon was the Mayor, Mr. J. P. Luke, but he had to confess that he was taken unawares, and that he had expected to be a listener merely. Ho was very glad, however, to be present to give support to any movement for the improvement of the moral health of the community. He said that some amendment in the law was necessary to give the police power to deal with houses of ill-fame in which one woman lived alone. He had received a deal of information, which was very disturbing, to the effect that there were many of these houses in the city, and not only -in one pairt of the city. He had the greatest respect for the police, but they were powerless to act under the present law. fie supported the demand that blame should attach to tho man equally with the woman in offences involving illicit intercourse. He spoke of the great need for better housing of the people, and urged that the Government as well as the municipalityshould be prepared to spend a considerable quantity of money to provide homes for the people. He did not support the idea of housing the people in flat?. Miss England strongly advocated thai, there should be no difference in the treatment of men and of women in affairs involving punishment or disgrace. She demanded a one-standard morality, instead of the present standard, which she contended was a dual standard. She urged also that there should be no publication in the Press of the names of women offending, in order that they might be given a chance to live down the disgrace coining to them. Mrs. Glover, representing the Salvation Army, said she hn"d no suggestions to offer for the solution of the problem of the prevailing immorality, but she urged that as much as possible should be .done to direct the steps of young people in paths of rectitude. Prevention was bet* tor than cure, and if immorality could be prevented it would be a blessing to the whole community. Mr. P. Eraser, M.P.,. spoke of the need for improved housing as one of the essentials of an improved morality. Sir James Allen said that the subject on which the deputation spoke was one which had been before him very prominently in the past four years. In the year 1916 it became evident to him that something ought to be done to 6top the one-woman brothels, and regulations were mode which wero intended to enable the police to deal effectively with them. The regulations had proved not to be effective for the purpose intended, although he agreed with Mr. Luke that the police were doing' their work well. He admitted the fact that bad housing did not conduce to clean morals, and he thought,that better houses and more opens spaces in the cities would have an uplifting effect on the people. Especially he urged on the city authorities in Wellington the need for more open spaces in tho congested areas of the city. He had had ample evidonco from the information coming to him concerning the men in the life of the people in New Zealand was not morally all that it ought to be. On the main question of the deputation—the request for equal treatment of men and women—he would have to consult his colleagues before committing the Government to a policy. Ho strongly hold to the opinion expressed by Mrs. Glover that prevention wns better than cure, and he would ifish that the training of tho boys and girls of New Zealand mignf be such that they would grow up strong enough to resist the temptations which would beset them in their journey through life. He did not think that' any law would get to the.root'of the question. • The Hon. ,T. A.. Hanan said that lie. was not a narrow-minded man, but in his opinion the time had come" when every man and woman who believed in nation-building should agree that these problems of immorality should be faced. He hoped that the people would do their duty by the young ami-provide better housing conditions in order to give them better environment. There could be no dpubt that the influonco for good of tho home life was declining. It was largely because of the decline of the home influence that ho thought it so accessary that the State' should take, oontrol of cm.' juiiiu uou-fii). the -aires of l-t and 18 years, and extend fhe education system to cover these young peoplo in some way. Ho realised that there were difficulties in detecting houses' of illfame under the present law.