WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1918, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

MAN MADE LAWS. HOW THEY OPERATE. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, June 5. Yesterday the Stipendiary Magistrate delivered his long-deferred decision in the extremely unpleasant "Kelburn Raid" case, and this morning the Dominion, with more courage than its local contemporaries, oilers some moreor less obvious comments upon his Worship's conclusions. In the course of its remarks it emphasises the point that the War Regulations, under which the proceedings were taken, while providing severe enough penalties for the women involved in such cases, make no mention at all of the responsibility of the men who frequent their establishments. "Justice demands," it says, "that in so far as it discriminates between men and women the War Regulation under which proceedings were taken should ba amended." This is a pretty long stride from the conventional view of a few years ago, which allowed the man practically all the license he cared to take m such matters and ridiculed the idea of equality between the sexes in this respect. THE WOMEN'S PROTEST

The first outcome of the Magistrate's decision is the announcement of a "women's protest meeting," to be held in the Town Hall on Saturday aftornoon, to which "all Women's Societies, Church Organisations, Mothers and Young Women" are invited to consider "proposals for more effective legislation to safeguard women." Whether or not this movement has been initiated by ladies of quite the right temperament to lead a public agitation of the kind may be doubted. The subject is an extremely delicate and difficult one, to be handled frankly and courageously, but not with the hysteria which has wrecked the good intentions of so many women social workers. That there is need for some public action in the matter, however, no one seriously concerned for the welfare of the community can doubt for a moment. The War Regulations were not framed by 'Parliament, but by Cabinet, in haste and at the time when Ministers, perhaps, were less concerned for the general tone of public morality than for the safety of the soldiers. LICENSING. Though the official Prohibitionist* strongly dissent from the opinion expressed by the chairman of the Wellington Licensing Committee yesterday to the effect that the conduct of hotels in the city had been very satisfactory during the last quarter nf 1917-18, thahy temperance people are disposed to endorse Mr. Waddell's commendation of the licensed houses. The statistics, at any rate, show there has been an appreciable decrease in the amount of drunkenness since the institution of six o'clock closing. In some quarters this is attributed to the fact that the advance in the price of spirit? has led many a thirsty soul to substitute beer for the more ardent beverages, and, as one authority has put it, "get more fun for their money with a good deal less peril to their wits." As a majority of the hotels are controlled by brewers, the licensees off?r no objection to the change in the habits of their customers, and even .hope, with lessened drunkenness, it. may weaken the forces of NoLicense. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. The case of a reservist with a wife and one child was put forward by the Second Division League the other day »s one of undoubted hardship, and the Minister vvas challenged to show the man and his dependents were receiving fairplay. The soldier's pre-enlistment income was £lO9 a year and he had applied to tho Financial Assistance Board for grants to cover his house rent (£52 a year) and life insurance (£5 4s a year).. The board had granted the amount for life insurance, but refused to pay the .house rent. This left the wifs and child, including an allotment of 3s Bd a day from the husband and father, with £94 a y-e&r for their maintenance, after paying the rent. The board, though it has not fully identified the case, now submits that the wife and child with £9i a year are better off than the husiband, wife and child were, ; ttg the figures work out, with £lll 16s a year, and pauses for a reply.