A WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION FOR REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 163, 3 April 1908, Page 3

A WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION FOR REFORM.

. Mrs. Herbert Cole, of •Christchurch,: presi-. dent'of, tho New Zealand Christian Temperance /Union, is visiting Wellington onher way 'home from therannual convention -of the Union; "which has just been held in-Auok-land, and; '' Dominica '!■< .waylaid-'her-!for.< a little 'information',with regard totlie, Union itself, and tho result of 'tho.convention:../ '-. - • The main object of the Union the .world over is the abolition of the liquor traffic, and it keeps this steadily in mind, but at- ihe same time'concsrns.iteelf with many-other reforms.. For instance, the, New Zealand Union had .a great deal-to do with the ; agitation for the enfranchisement of - women,' and it is, now urging-the abolition of tho totalisator. -c-Last

year a. petition circulated by it in favour of this reform secured 36|000 signatures,;.! and though'the' reform was not: effected, -1 there.-is" no doubt,.that, the petition had it's due weightin scouring the.passing,of tlie Gambling-Bill.' / Another - ,work: undertaken by . the Union .'during several - months of' that and the pre-? ceding;year was,the maintenance of a crecho at the '• Exhibition, • where -2000. babies were,

i looked'! after, while their mothers visited tho i. Exhibition. It is recorded that one day there • .were' no fewer' than seventy lusty/infants i in" that creche, and. the attendants felt by; the end .of the day .that those hours had not i been wasted in idleness.' "The •TJiiioii -through- [ out tho Dominion numbers fifty-four branches ; and ,1500-members, 1 and whenever any,new ; work calls" for women's L notice,'. some; of those i members aro ready to attend to-it; The list • of departments under the direction" of the • '.Union s officers'^'a: long and comprehensive i one/and it comprises such things as-th'e, sond- ■ ing of literature to men on stations and'on Government; worksj and. in" tile' back-blocks, and, includes .the..'management. 'ofseveral- ■ '" SailorS-'fiests.".-"' ■' ' ' ■ • The Women's Union acts on the brofld prin-, ciple that it is woman's duty,to oppbso>overything that is.likely to.injure the home ; or the interests'. of the. home. . It js a. sound principle, but, one ' which • wemen in general are slow to adopt, and it leads those,;who do hold it int-6.;far - fields, ''..which' 'ihay at first sight" soem' to Ikj beyond the '-provinco' of women. For instance, in their opposition to

.lhe ; liquor traffic, .they usO. indirect methods, 'as well lis tho most obvious, and>the last con.verition decided to make a special department for, providing"temperance.;booths' on" show grounds,'where otherwise there iuight be only liconsed' booths, and: by the same- depart-' ' irient an effort will bo made to.dis'courage'the acceptance by various athletic club's, of trophies and, money -prizes ' offered.f by liquor sellers. ' i . One' of the most interesting of the conven--.tiori meetings at Auckland, said Mrs; Colo, was . . 'one they discussed the legal disabilities of'wonion and; the,economic' independence 'ofwives. Several of the members feel 1 very strongly that'a wife should not only be provided her. husband, .'as the. law, allows,with the" necessaries 'of ' ' life;. but, .that . she should' ,bo\| /allowed a:' certain'. sum ■of money, '.' varying, 'of course,' according to the ' husband's ; income, for ' her " private use,' that she. should not' be : obliged ..to ask'him fpr-every pjMin'y. she wishes to spend. .Most women,- if this private puiso' were allowed,'would spend' tlie' money On the home or the-children,' and whether, they did so or riot, they are entitled to be aliowed to judge for themselves. M... • .... - ■■ LEGAL DISABILITIES' bp • WQMEN. - It-was not'generally understood, said.Mrs'.' Cole, to what an extent the women, of New Zealand, who have an equal : vote, .are under legal 'disabilities,/but - here, .as in. loss. fav 7 loured British countries, ; a womaji no legal'right.to her child. The -husbandrmay take- his children from - the care of ; the wife ! and placo them in- a home where - she may not bo. allowed to see ,them, - and as long as he : places them in a respectable home, she can get-no redress. -A woman.might Spond her own money giving her . daughter a specially good education, with !a view to her- becoming a teacher, and if . the father chose-.bo could make that; daughter, become a . milliner or shop assistant instead.. If he chose he qpuld prevent , her learning any subject 'that her mother, might wish to have her ,tau£)it. Ho .'could send her, to a school her mother-dis-liked. He has.absolute control, and dn his death he can give tho same rights to a.'dhoseu guardian. Another thing a cantankerous husband could do would be to sell his homo without giving his wife any saj\ in -the mattor. Mr. Seddon brought in a Bill making it necessary for the wife j;o acquiesce in such a-sale, but it did not become law. . "There are other legal disabilities," said Mrs. Cole, " but those are, all I have time to mention now."