DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE.

White Ribbon, Volume 21, Issue 244, 18 October 1915, Page 10

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE.

A deputation, representing the Women’s Societies of Wellington, waited upon the* Minister of Justice, to present a petition signed by the N.Z. Executive and officers of local bran* hes of the W.C.T.I ~ and by officers of other Women’s Societies in this Dominion. The petition asked for better protection for our girls. It requested that w here men v ere convicted of offences against girls of tender years, or of more than one offence, they should be detained for life, preferably in farm colonies. The deputation received a svmpathetic hearing, hut it is too late for anything to be done this session. We intend to move in this matter early next se. jion, and to keep on bringing this subject forward until the law is so amended that little girls may be protected from outrages of this kind. As we wish to be well prepared, we ask all I’nions to assist us in gathering information. Will our White Ribboners, whenever a case of assault on a girl is reported in their local paper, kindly cut out the* clipping and send it to the Editor of the “White Ribbon”? We wish to have an accurate knowledge of the number of such cases occurring in our Dominion, and of the severity or otherwise of the sentences inflicted on the culprits. We shall be grateful for any assistance given us in this matter. The subject is of deep interest to every woman in our land, and we should never rest until more adequ i!*i protection is given to our children