WOMEN'S NEW ERA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 225, 11 June 1918, Page 2

WOMEN'S NEW ERA

DEMAND FOTC REFORMS AS ELECTORS.

There never has been such a meeting of the Council of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies as that hold in March, states the "Manchester Guardian." On the two previous days the delegates had settled private questions of constitution and policy, but today they covered tho whole field of their desires, demanding as electors the reforms that they had so long urged upon an inattentive Government.

The first resolution, moved by" Mrs. Oliver Strachey. became, after an alteration proposed by the Liverpool delegate, a decision that a special council meeting should bo hold to consider the position of women in industry, and that this should bo preceded by a conference with other societies with expert knowledge of tho reforms that should bo asked for, the conferenco to 1)5 held in an industrial centre, so that workers themselves might have an opportunity of attending. It was agreed that the most pressing problem affecting woman after the war was that of her industrial position.

Tho advico of experts is also to be asked in connection with tho difficult question of the guardianship of illegitimate children. A resolution was carried demanding a Bill to givs wironts of children bora in wedlock equal rights of guardianship, and to safeguard thoso rights irrespective of the parent*' relative economic positiop, but it was felt that before making any recommendation about improving tho position of unmarried (anthers and their illegitimate children the opinions of experts should bn secured, and all local societies should be invited to make a thorough investigation and send suggestions. Dr. Martindale, of Brighton, moving the resolution protesting against ''maisons tolerees" and calling upon tho British Government to put all such houses out of bounds for British troops, said that the question of the physical efficiency of our men at the front was ono that immensely concerned tho whoio country, while tho question must also be considered in the light of its effect on women and children. So far 75 per cent, of the patients attending the. clinics for venereal disease were married women with children.

Resolutions were carried in favour of State allowances for widows with dependant children and for widows incapacitated from earning their own living, asking local societies to consider and report on schemes for the endowment of maternity a,nd childhood, and asking the execntive committee to promote legislation for the improvement of the machinery tor obtaining and enforcing maintenance orders.

The income tas as it affects married women, the removal of the bars against women desiring to be solicitors and barristers, the general employment of women police, were subjects of affirmative resolutions, and it was agreed that the N.U.W.S.R.. desirinjr to see women members of Parliament should work towards this end.

One of tho most interestintr resolutions asked the Government at the Congress of Powers after the war to urffo that a lastine; peace must rest not only on the political freedom of men but of women, and asking that the envoys to the Congress should include soma women.