WOMEN'S RIGHTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 128, 2 June 1939, Page 11

WOMEN'S RIGHTS.

REPRESENTATION IN COURTS.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. The anomalies in the law Which prevent women from taking their proper place in plihlie life were outlined by .Mrs. j ]'.. Molesworth at a meeting of thej United Women's Association held in the. ! J'enwomen's C'lnl) rooms last evening. '•. .Mrs. Moleswortli .stated that of the j cncen heard at the Supreme Court ;it ! least 30 per cent dealt with women and ! in the majority of easee there was not i even one woman j.resent. Quotin.tr | eases from her own experience, MrA. j Molesworth stated that men were in ; many instances niialilo to understand, i the ps\ diolouical causes of certain I trinicH committed liy women. ; Jn lifihtinji ajiaiiist the appeal for women jurors, said Mre. Molosworth, ! men had been heard to r-ay that women ! Mould lie romantically softlioai ted. In searching the records, continued Mrs. Molesworth, one would be amazed ;tt the number of cases in which men had j been sentimentally lenient towards ' crime committed by members of their ■ own eex. There should be equal representation of eexes on juriee, said the speaker, ami all ease.s concerning women and children should be tried by women magistrates. In every Court in New Zealand the I magistrate had the rijiht to order his : own Court. .Mrs. Mulenwolth added. There whs a permissive regulation which allowed women to pintle Ili;• Iteneh. and she had iliscotereil llliit there were :iS women ju-tire<i of the pence on Hie telephone ln.-t year who had -ii;niiicd their willingness to .-it in the Mauist rate's Court. In s|iite of tlii<s they were not called. As a result many injustices ha<l been enacted the inability of the men to see through the eyes of women and children. Declining Birth Rate. Aniollfr other s'.ibj t ><-tK which Mrs. Alolesworth discussed was the declining birth rate. One outstanding cause eshe considered was the economic factor. It ua.s natural that people should be unwilling to lirin<r into the world cliildn>ll whom they could not be sure, of up and educating properly. Ihe new independence of women also had made them believe in the value of a -iooil standard of living, she I thought the taunt that the modern girl v.a.s unwilling to be tied at home because of her children was untrue. Mis. Molesworth believed that the remedies for this decline would be an increase in the child allowance and the of bonuses to mothers, so that ii mother would be free from the fear of not bciuy able to provide for her child. I It was decided at the meeting to elect a deputation to wait on Mr. \V. K. McKean, S.M., with a view securing the admission of women justices 1 to the Bench in all cases where women <■ were tried, and where two justices were called , . The members also n-jreetl to make representations to the Minitstei of .lustice, the lion. H. <J. K. Mason 1 with regard to appointing an equn [ representation of woiuli on all juries.