AMONG OURSELVES.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 75, 28 March 1924, Page 9

AMONG OURSELVES.

A WEEKLY BUDGET. (By CONSTANCE CLYDE.) COMING INTO LINE. While some of the more advanced nations are simply marking time in matters feminist, a few of the hackward ones have lately moved somewhat j further into line with the others. Thus a bill to change the legal position of women has lately been introduced into tiie Chilean Chamber of Deputies by a numerous group of members. It deals with a woman's right of guardianship over her own children, her right to be guardian of other people's children, her right to witness a legal document, the property rights of married women, and their right to do paid work. Another country which has remained, as it were, gracefully aloof from suffragism is Spain, but there are signs in that land of a change. The Spanish Government, it seems, has drafted a comprehensive Municipal Reform Bill, which will receive the Royal assent in the near future. Under its provisions, women will for the iirst time receive the municipal vote, and will be eligible as candidates. It seems to be generally expected that their Parliamentary enfranchisement will follow as a matter of course. In connection with the municipal vote, it is interesting to note that women were unusually successful at the recent elections of this nature at Cape i Province? Natal was the first province Jof Africa to give women an opportunity of sharing in the civic life. Maritzburg ! and Durban had their women councillors and the local board of the little town of Kshowe was the iirst to choose a woman representative, who has since been made chairman.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS NEWS. The International Woman Suffrage Alliance News Service gives the names of those appointed by the Council of the League of Nations to carry out an investigation into the question of the traffic in women and children. This investigation was first suggested by Miss Abbott, who represented the United States on the Advisory Committee. The cost of the investigation is being met by the Bureau of Social Hygiene, U.S.A. Dr. Abram Flexner is chairman of the new committee, and among the other members are: Princess Christina Bandini, Italy; Mr. W. S. Harris, Great Britain; M. Hennequin, chairman of the French Association for the suppression of this tra/lic, and M. Isidore Maus, who represents a similar society in Belgium.

THE EQUAL FRANCHISE IDEAL. It can surely he only a matter of time before the Labour Government in Britain removes the last differentiation between men and women electors, a differentiation which, us the Women's Leader puts it. makes the woman wage earner or motlipr of twentynine inferior to the cigarette smoking youth who has just attained his majority. Several attempts have been made to amend this law, the first being in 191S, where for the first time a woman (Lady Astor) took part in a Parliamentary suffrage debate. This measure unfortunately was suppressed

by trickery in committee. Another attempt was made in 1922 with more Bucceee. The third in April, 1923, was enlivened by one, Colonel Archer Shee, when he informed the House that he seriously believed in the Punch story of one charlady asking another "When •women get the vote, will men be allowed to vote?" and the other replying "Oh, yes, my clear, at first.' . In Colonel Archer Shee's opinion man was bound ultimately to go under. The late Bonar Law was always a friend to the measure, and Mr. Baldwin had stated that he also would consider reopening the matter if returned to power. The Labour Party did not refer to the matter in their great demonstration, but there is still hope for the future. WELSH WOMEN AND PEACE. Early in February a deputation of Welshwomen, led by Mrs. Peter Hughes Griffiths, embarked for the U.S.A. Their mission was to present to a committee of American women at Washington a memorial signed by the women of Wales, advocating the co-operation of America in the cause of world peace. There are a number of signatures to this memorial, and the affiliatetd societies of the National Union of .Societies for Equal Citizenship played a part in its organisation. THE JAPANESE WOMEN. Say« a correspondent: "The terrible disaster of the earthquake brought all the women's societies together, and now forty-two of these are united under the name of the 'Federation of the Woman Societies of Tokyo,' and this is divided into five different parts, namely, Women's Labour Union, the Union of Woman's Employment Office, the Club of Educators, the Union of Societies of the Social Workers, and the Department of the Law and Government. Each part meets once in every week, and much useful work is gone through." HOUSEWIVES , ASSOCIATION. The recent success of the Housewives Association in Australia reminds us that England unlike America or Australia has as yet no such organisation. There is a great desire, however, to begin the movement in England, and the island continent is cited as a guide. Mention is made for instance of the attempt to raise the price of potatoes in that country, to an unreasonable figure, and how the association informed its members, advising them to refrain from buying, after which the price went down. In America a rise in sugar and a loss in strawberries -were defeated in the same way. "The methods of such an association," says an English writer, "are educational as well as defensive. Members are informed of the means to take and the whole association acts in unison. What is wanted is a woman of position, knowledge and influence to take the initial step and form the association. The work requires the gifts of organisation, knowledge of economics, and personality. It would be a good stepping stone to a political career. The Woman's Citizenship Association and other bodies would make good mediums for propaganda. Already some of the more intellectual housewives are studying the economic history of foods, and how the weakening of British hold on certain industries must affect prices.