THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 89, 17 April 1899, Page 2

THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

I The Council met on Saturday afterfcoon, when there was a, good attendance of delegates as well as a few ladies and gentlemen. Mrs Wells presided. A letter was read from Mr J. E. Taylor suggesting that the Council should consider the question of the present system of payment of subsidies by the Government to Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards. Mrs Daldy spoke in favour of the subsidy being per head of the population. The letter was received. Upper House.—Mrs Daldy moved, 'That a reform of the method of nomination and appointment of members Of the Upper House is urgently needed.' Mrs Daldy said they might as' well have no Legislative Council as have one that was composed of nominees of whatever government chanced to be in power. Mrs Williamson seconded the motion. Men were often appointed at present who had no qualifications for the position. .Mrs Sheppard, in supporting the resolution, said the present system was only another of the evils of party Government. Miss Boyd and Mrs Kirkby spoke in favour of the abolition of the Upper House. The motion was carried by 16 to 3. Mrs Daldy next moved. 'That this Council recommends members of the Upper House be elected directly by the people, and that the number be limited to half that of the Lower House. Mrs Williamson supported the motion. She believed in the Upper House as a useful, check upon hurried legislation. Mrs Sheppard did not think the Upper House should be abolished until they had the referendum. She moved, us an amendment, 'That the system of voting for the election of members' of .the Upper House shall be the Hare system.' Mrs J. M. Shera spoke in favour of the retention of the Upper House. She thought the members of the Lower Houße should elect the members of the Upper House Mrs Fletcher agreed with Mrs Shera. Mrs Sheppard ultimately withdrew the amendment. The motion by Mrs Daldy was carried by 16 to 3. Mrs Sheppard then moved, 'That the method of election be by the Hare system* Mrs Williamson seconded the motion, and said unknown men would never then get into the Upper House. The motion was adopted. Civil Service Appointments. —Mrs Daldy moved, 'That to mitigate the evils which arise from the present system of the appointments to the Civil service a board be appointed directly by the House of Representa-tives-such board to have power of appointing all Civil Servants.' Mrs Daldy frankly admitted that if she was in power and there was a good position to be filled she might give it to a relative, and she supposed other people would act similarly; therefore she thought this power should be •taken from the hands of the Ministry. Mrs Williamson and Mrs Shera spoke ; strongly upon the necessity of Stipendiary Magistrates not being subject ,tq Government influence. Miss ■Boyd thought a Public Service Board ■would have friends the same as a Ministry. The President said if it was left to the Executive to appoint the board they would not have advanced much in the matter. The motion was (parried by 17 to 1. Old Age Pensions.—Mrs Fletcher moved, 'That the Old Age Pensions 'Act be so amended that the sole qualification for recipients be twentyfive years' residence and a certified »ge of sixty-five years. She contendied..that all who contributed to the Consolidated Fund were entitled to a .penßion and thus remove any idea of pauperism. She considered that even should have the pension, because they paid the penalty for thefr crimes when incarcerated in gaol. Mrs Sievwright seconded the motion. At present the Act was administered much the same as charitable aid. Mrs Kirkby considered the present old age .pension a good beginning, and was not in favour of extending the pension on the score of cost. Mrs Knight thought in the case of women the age should be reduced to sixty, and moved an amendment in that direction. Mrs Shera teupported the motion, but thought the j present system should receive a" fair trial. Mrs Williamson supported the motion. The only question was. "where ,was the money to come from? She thought a universal pension tejhould be worked on some system by •which the young people of to-day toight contribute a little towards a pension for theif old age Mrs Daldy objected to any difference being made 3ri favour of women receiving pensions •five years earlier than men. They should be equal. The amendment ■was lost] and the motion adopted.