Chapter IV.

Social Purity.

The Rev. Mr. Monro went to a great deal of trouble to ascertain some startling facts as to the social purity of Auckland, making a house-to-house visitation in company with a detective. Mr. Monro says, "Our visits were not confined to what may be called the slums, where the criminal and depraved are expected to congregate, for we entered places of questionable repute in some of the most respectable localities, and certainly I could not have believed that there were such large and magnificently furnished "homes" in a comparatively small city like Auckland, with its commercial depression. We entered twenty-four houses, and called at about thirty, and in these houses we found over sixty girls, many of them intelligent, well educated, and who, judging from appearances, must have once moved in respectable circles." And there are about four hundred professional prostitutes, the majority of the girls being between the ages of fifteen and twenty. The Rev. J. S. Hill, speaking charitable aid, says, "The great draw upon our charitable aid is the ever-increasing illegitimacy of births." The annual report if the Benevolent Asylum in Sydney, of August, 1889, discloses a shocking state of immorality. It shows that over seven hundred illegitimate births are registered annually, and last year forty-four children were abandoned. Can we be surprised at this, after reading the Rev. Mr. Monro's report?

May I ask what is the cause and what is the remedy for this great social evil. The cause, I think, can be traced to a great extent to the long hours and small pay of the sweating manufactories and other employers, and lack of employment in other cases. When employment cannot be obtained, and when honourable work is ill-paid, the temptation to dishonourable callings are increased. The remedy may be found by offering a home and employment to all such as are in need at the State co-operative farms, where every opportunity would be afforded for them to become good honest settlers. Repeating the words of the Rev. Herbert V. Mills, "We ought no; to overlook the blessed influence which such a reform would exert over the women of the poorer classes. The rich may be tempted to degrade their bodies sometimes out of pure indolence and for lack of other excitement. But it is not so with the poor. Hard work and simple fare makes them think of other matters. When the young women of the poorer classes fall into immoral methods of gaining a living, in seventy-five cases out of every hundred they are driven into it by the difficulty of obtaining honourable employment of any other kind." The first violation takes place frequently when our wretched sisters are half-starved. If, then, we can offer at such farms employment and a home with comfort to those who are in want, it would do away with poverty and the sweating system, and thus be a great check upon immorality, dishonesty, and vice. Evidently; it is the duty of the State to provide for such classes of the community.

How is it that Governments will not strive to provide a remedy for the relief of all poverty and want of employment? There an three reasons. The first is that the majority of the members of any Government are capitalists and employers. The second is that to relieve all poverty, and provide permanent employment for all surplus labour, would be to deprive capitalists of the luxuries which they now enjoy at the expense of this surplus cheap labour. The third reason is, as wealth is power, so to raise poverty and the unemployed to a state of independence would be to reduce the power of capitalist employers.

How are these things to be remedied? By the weapon that G.O.M., Sir George Grey, has placed in the hands of the people—"one man one vote"—and not by any revolutionary movement. The writer has tried to place before all people a remedy for poverty, The author wants all people to read and judge for themselves of the practicability of the scheme now placed before them. If you, the people, who are the State, approve of it, you, the people, have to choose from amongst yourselves a number of men whom you calls Government, and that Government is supposed to do the will of the people; but hitherto you have chosen men who do as they like, and make the people do as they please. But now that G.O.M., Sir George Grey, says you have the power to choose whom you please to carry out your wishes. Is it your wish that all our brothers and sisters shall have food, clothing, and shelter? If so, and if you page 9 think this scheme of State co-operative farming will supply those necessaries, send no men to Parliament but those who will undertake to carry out your wishes.