The Women's Charter

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 June 1910, Page 4

The Women's Charter

AN ENGLISH MKASURB

Sir Charles .Al'Lart'ii seems to have been .a: tiny to some extent on bt-half of hi,s wile, when he introduced [into the House of Commons a few weeks a of JJill.s .!':.ili.'ij>; n'iili the of women, iho mwisiiu.s were ba.setl on the claims made by Lady M'Laron in a pauiphleit entitled "Tho Woinen'.s C'i.artK'i- of Rights and Liberties." They dealt with such aspects of the (iiie.'v'ion as the riyht of liwiint.'iianci!. ('•amines, tho wife

;•:•; partner, assaults on women, divorce, children, inheritance, testamentary power, education of immorality, measures for improving the. condition of iiin-s ried women of the working Kadto'vy Acts ;in;l economics, n<l municipal and pi itic.il riy,li.t.s. Lady .McLaren lia.s :-ome practical views. She 'believes, for iiistairo. t:::it a wil'r- who devotes her whole time t:> housekeeping find the ciro of :the children .s'lnwild have :i Ic.ltil claim on her husband during his lifis and upon his estate alter his death for a .sum calculated on the waucos th.it would he paid to a housekeeper in a corresponding station of life. Tlie pamph'let ]>roposre H'hat the sexes should I>b placed on an absolute equality in conneotion wfth the divorce laws, !ind that in every case where the factory Inws forbid the- mdbw , to continue- Ihm , occupation before nnd after tho birth r>f her child, the mnii'irip;i'liity in wliicli she resides .should be responsible for her support •during the time rf prohibition. Lady M'Laren bas lir-en placing her c-lmrter pro]>T?nl.s women's organ bat ion in Britain, nnd she secured (the co-operation 'of a recent conference- of Women's Libeiral Association at She took tho O'pportunitv to ivrse that the chn.rp.lves should b.» influenced in support of women's rio-bts. Sir Charles M'L«rPn sKnteti before, intiwliiping his Hills that he did not expect them to roach th» o'l discussion in -tho Hour? of Commons tins ytvir. .l)ii: i .'J". ,roiiM have achiev'"l Ins object if 'tb"v were placed b-fn-e th, p., 0 .,,1 P o ,f .m, : , o(>n , lifcrvI rohably the prosnn-t* vf the "clmrtor reachincf the Book would be mucli brighter ;thnn the\ ii-p if its demands were backed np ■bv five or six millions of enfranchised women.