PROTECTION OF WOMEN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 230, 27 March 1912, Page 5

PROTECTION OF WOMEN.

FURTHER LEGISLATION REQUIRED. Christchurch, March 25. Co-operation with other similar societies and more active propaganda are the lines that will be followed in the coming year by the Society for the Protection of Women and Children, which will Bold its annual meeting on Thursday afternoon. The society is not discouraged with its work, but it desires to prevent a great deal of what is unsatisfactory in the conditions of distressed women and children. ' The directions in which legislative reform are desired was explained to a "Star" reporter this morning by Mrs. E. Lissaman, a member of the committee. Mrs. Lissaman stated that strong endeavours would be made to abolish the six-months' time-limit in which charges had to be laid for offejices against girls of tender years. She said that a mother might not <know_ of her daughter's misfortune until the time had elapsed. . Cases of the kind were on record. An indefinite time for laying the information could not prejudice the man, for the greater the lapse of time the more difficult would be the task of proving the offence, and the man always had a jury to try him. A widening of the law relating to consanguinity was also urgently needed, to prevent uncles and aunts from marrying nieces and nephews, and stepmothers and stepfathers from marrying their children. A dreadful case had occurred in Christchurch. A widow with two daughters, one of whom had been committed to a home, had married again and had five children by the second marriage. One of the.first daughters had left the home.at the age of twenty-one years, and the stepfather bad run off with her as man and wife to Sydney, for there was no law to prevent it.