COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

Wairarapa Age, 4 March 1927, Page 4

COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

PROPOSALS AND DEMANDS. WOMEN ON JURIES. CHRISTCHURCH, March 3. At the Conference of the National Council of Women to-day, Mrs. Bridgman (Dunedin) moved that the Minister of Justice be asked to caution magistrates and newspaper proprietors against making public certain features of Court cases in regard to domestic tragedies, particularly those in which mothers in a state of mental unbalance attempt to murder their children. After discussion it was decided to amend the motion to read that in the Council’s opinion legislation should be passed to prohibit newspapers publishing details of these cases.

A Gisborne remit carried was that in view of public opinion being aroused by certain eases of criminal assault, to demand that flogging be added to the sentence, *this conference strongly protests against this treatment and advocates long indeterminate sentences, with reformative treatment, as being more in line with the best modern method* of pen d reform.

A Christchurch remit in favour of women being appointed to juries was carried, also a remit favouring the appointment of women police. A Wellington remit that Parliament be asked to. discontinue the death penalty on men serving in the forces was rejected by one vote.

Officers were elected as follows:— Dominion President, Mrs. C. A. Fraer (Christchurch); secretary, Miss H. K. Lovell Smith (Christchurch); treasurer, Miss S. E. Jackson (Auckland). — (P.A.)