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POLICE MAY
STOP THEM
Womaz and Child
on :Way ~ to Perth
UNSAFE JOURNEY
Opinions were expressed in, Adelaide
today that indigent travellers walking be
tween capital cities should be prevented
from continuing on their way if the trips
are likely to be accompanied by risk of
danger.
The statemients were prompted by the
publication in "'The News.f yesterday of
the plight of a womai and her nmine-y:ear
old daughter, who left Adelaide early yes
terday on a 1,700 mile walk through bush
and'desert cbuntry to Perth.
A serious view was talken of the hazar
dons trip at police headquarteirs today.. The
women police said that had they been made
aware of the womani's intention before the
couple left Adelaide, they would have
Ssought some guarantee from her, and, if
the circumstances warranted such action.
the girl would have been arrested as a
neglected child,not' having a settled place
of~ abode.
E?XPENSIVE RESCUE
The couple,- who, according to the
woman's story yesterday, left Sydney inr
December, had already been on theroad
some hours when Mlajor Scott, women'n
social secretary of the Salvation A·r'my.
communicated with the police.
They were heading for Post Au~igusta?,
and the p'olice were hopeful today that
someone who saw them along the roa'd
mimght convey news'of their condition to
them. It might still be necessary, they
thought, to intercept themn at Port
Augusta, or before they reached there.
"Had we seen them and not been satis
fled that they could: -get :through safely,
some official action- would have beef taken
to prevent the womii taking the child
out into- such a dangerous stretch of coun
try," said one of the women police. 'It
Willbe difficult-to keep track of their pro
gress, and, s;hould they be lost in the
desert. 'a lot of- expense will be involved
in finding them.
"The desert is no- fit place for any
woman, and it is terrible thatl she pro
poses takini a child awayv into it."
HARDLY CREDITED STORY
Major Scott, who tried to dissuade the
w-oman from .contiumiing on her way, said
that: she could hardly credit her story at
first, :,Although I tried to-persuade her
to remain at one of our- homes, she was
determined to ;go on to her relatives in
Perth,' said the .major. She remained at
the Re?Scue: Honie on Thursdayj night, and
i ;f as n;xp steiiw.r hen the matron rang
meiand4bbld me she. had left early yes
wi-the? c N e:hither ~ias in a fit state to
start oin -sutch a terrible journey, and,
being: very ~disturbed I- communicated
ivith the women police.
:I' am still hopeful that they will be
broiught back . to Adelaide.- We woul
,ladly keep them here until friends or'
relativ-es could do something for them."
"We did-not consider it right that the
child should be taken on s~ich a terrible
journey,'" said Matron Spencer, of the
Gilbert Street Refuge. today;
"However,'" she added. "we -have rio
means. of holding people .unless there, is
a charge against them, and the woman
insisted on continuing on to Perth."
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