WOMAN'S WORLD
(Continued from page 2.) Women and the Upper House. . No Parliamentary news received from' Wellington for many a ■ year past lias been read by Auckland women with more keen and critical interest than has been loused by recent Press telegrams recording the chequered career of t.he Women's Parliamentary Rights Bili, says an Auckland exchange. In Auckland at the present timo there is tenso and watchful interest on tho part of women's societies. The local branch of the National Council of Women, the Civic League, Y.W.C.A., Women Teachers' Association, and W.C.T.U. have already forwarded telegrams to tho Prime Minister and others, urging that -some constitutional means be tounu to dispose of the present difficulty. The attitudo of tile women in regard to the situation was discussed by Miss E. Melville, president of the National Council of Women, which represents practically every women's organisation in ttic Dominion. t "Prom our point of view, the present position is very unsatisfactory," said Miss Melville. "There is undoubtedly a widespread feeling that there has been a lack of sincerity on the part of tho tiovernment and some members of Parliament in dealing with the Bill, that it has been used us tt 'votc-catciher,' with no'real intention of putting"the Act on the Statute Book. When I', was in Wei-.-ungton recently, I heard it said that the Bill would pass the lower House all right, but it would not get past'theCouncil—some flaw would be found in it. barely,_ if it were really intended to pass tlie Bill, it could ;ho 4 ve been framed in such a mnnnpr that it could not bo objected to the Council on tho grounds of privilege brought forward. "It is to be presumed that the sum; oincer, the Crown Law Draughtsman, draughts legislation for botil Houses, under the instructions of the Government, and one would suppose that this officer, and also tho Government, must hnvebeon aware that objections to the Bill in itspresent form could be raised, especially as the same question of privilege; on practically the same grounds, wa? raised by members of the Upper House in 1914, when the Legislative Council Amend, ment Bill was before Parliament. It seems to me that the Hon. G. Jones, a member the Upper House, summed I'P J' 1 ® position perfectly when he said that the Council's privileges were of no account compared with the principles involved in, the Bill. Is it to be wondered at that women suspect the genuineness of the intention to pass this reform," mieried Miss Melville, when they see tlie whole thin,? • '11-®I 1 -® V ue nn d a?ain owhir tt. thi--(jmbblmg between the two Houses? It is not _ a question of whether women 1V0 "i" Iri??inetllatc]-v1 r i?? inet l latc] - v ' :e elected to Parliament. That is a, matter for public opinion to decide. Tlie fact is. women are tireu of being classed with criminals, .lunatics, and other ineligible.?!" ' Soldiers Welcomed at Ohariu. Oil October 4 the residents of Qhariu gavo a welcome home" to the returned soldiers and soldier-settlers of the disiri i l6 o' lar ,' u Hull had been vcrv prettily decorated, and there was <jr gathering present. Mr. S. Bryant was in tho chair, and imade a cordial speech of welcome to the guests of the'evening. Messrs. AH. Field and R. A. Wright, M.P.s, n'ere also present. Mr. Field spoke about gratuities Ito soldiers and the necessity for economy to be practised by everyone; also the need of an increase of production. Mr. Wright spoke with his usual dry humour, and expressed the deep interest he fel.t for soldiers. t 'ei T n £ Uoore > Johnsonville, spoko of .State finance. Other sneakers were ?w?; r. " lld Wndlcy (Makara Countj Council), Rev. Mr. Isaacson, vicar ot Johnsonville, late chaplain to the mounted men in Egypt. Mention was made by the returned men. of ■fcbo excellent work done at the front by the Y.M.C.A; When supper had been served the fables were dismantled, and dancing took place until the' small of the morning. The following contributed to tho success of the gathering by their musical items Mrs. - B Bryant, Mrs. Jackson, Miss Rita Brvnnt,' and Mr. B, Griffiths. Tho unanimous opinion of those present was that the iwiole anair.had beeii most successful.
English Brides in Canada, The magnitude of the tasks waiting to be accomplished by nurses in the Empire is strikingly illustrated in the report of tho Overseas Nursing AssociaHon. In 1919 the number of nurses at wort is 75, a i;apid recovery from the war years, wliou owing to the lack of steamship accouunqdation many posts perforce remained long vacant. The largest number at work in the history ot the association was 96 in 1914, and it is probable that this 1 number will bo largely exceeded before very lon>' The need for maternity nurses in the isolated districts of the Dominions is overwhelming. It seems that over 35,000 British ■"Ti'i 1 l lave .married Canadian soldiers, ■and that marriages arc taking place at i 1000 a rooitii- The return of these couplcs to Cannda\ calls for a very special effort to provide maternity aid, since in Saskatchewan alone it was estimated in 191 d that one woman in threo was materially injured in childbirth. A special Dominion Fund is being raised for this purpose. The best solution of the problem would be to turn some of the settlors themselves into mulwives, so that they might help each other. More facilities for midwifery training are required both in this country, and Canada if the necessary ■ aid is to-be forthcoming for the sottlers.-Thc Hospital.
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 15, 13 October 1919, Page 3
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931WOMAN'S WORLD Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 15, 13 October 1919, Page 3
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