NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

White Ribbon, Volume 25, Issue 292, 19 October 1919, Page 4

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

At the Annual Conference of the National Council of Women, remits were passed as follows: (1) ' That the National Council of Women of New Zealand wishes to draw the at tuition of the Government to the inconsistency of allowing 10 .. maintenance to children admitted to a State foster In me; whereas if a widow elects to keep her children in her own home she is only allowed /Jl2 a year apart from the war bonus for the first child, and £ iß for two children; .£24 for three, and £'>o for more than three children up to the age of >4 years. Further, seeing that the <ioverli ment has already admitted, through two of its Departments, namely, the Defence Department and the Health Department, that the ordinaly pension for widows and children is not sufficient to keep a family of young children unless the mothei either leaves her children to the rare ol others while she goes out to work, 01 else resorts to charitable aid foi help, this Society would respectfully urge upon the attention of the Government the obviof is necessity of granting to all widow? with young children a basis of pension not less than that granted to epidemic widows. Jn urging the above the Council pointed out that “it is not in the best interests of .either the individual or the State that a mother should have to leave hcl infant children to the care of others wh:le she goes out to work, and that, on the other hand, if she does not do this, part of the maintenance of her family must ultimately tall on the State or on the community through the Education Department or chant able aid , and her family has to carry

a stigma front this source, which no one should have to carry who is not guilty of anything but misfortune.” (2) “ I hat the National Council of Women a 'firm the prim iplc that mai lied women who aie performing so vice in the home, whether maternal or household duties, 01 who air assisting theii husbands in business, should have .1 legal right to sonic share of their husbands’ incomes.” (3) l hat for the better protection of girls legislation should bo urged mak ing provision for: (a) Raising the age of consent to iX v ears. (b) Extending the time limit during which information can be laid for criminal assault. («) Ihe abolition of the powers of accused to plead belief in the girl’s attainment of the age of consent as a palliation of an of feme against her purity while under that age. (4) That in the interests of women and children women police should be appointed. 15) I hat women Justices of the Peace should be appointed to assist in dealing with the cast’s where women and children are concerned. ((•) I hat Juvenile Courts should not !>■* held in the ordinary Magistrate’s Court buildings. I 7) That statutory provision should be made for the compulsory renumera tive employment of men who neglect t<» sup|H»rt their wives and families, the money earned by the men be d»*voled to the maintenance of their families.