CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15924, 9 May 1912, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS.

A suffragette’s STOKT.

The methods of organ-

isation that are practised by the militant suffragettes were described by

a woman who gave evidence in the course of the trial of several of tho leaders on a charge of conspiracy. Mrs Lilian Bell, a dressmaker, who had been brought from prison at the request of the Publio Prosecutor, said that she had become a member of the Women’s Social and Political Union early in 1911 and in November had been invited _ to take part in a deputation to the Prime Minister. In response to a letter she went to an address in Charing Cross Road and was provided with a bag of flints. She protested that she did not want to break windows, but was persuaded to go to the Houses of Parliament with two strangers. There her courage failed her and she hurried home with the stones. Subsequently she received circular letter from Mrs Pankhurst asking her to join in tho militant protest in March. She did not reply at first, but after some additional letters had been sent to her she went to the Gardenia Restaurant with a card of admission that had been sent her. She had been told to bring a change of clothing m case she should be arrested. At the restaurant she had to show her card to several sentinels and was met by a woman who asked her if she was prepared for a long sentence or a short one. She replied that she bad made preparations for seven days’-imprison-ment only and was to d that she had better break “ a small pane She had brought no weapon with her and „; ven a hammer which bore the • _ “ Better broken windows If' »"« issued the instructions “spoke with great authority and was “ very ‘I her manner.” Mrs Bell was inclined to resent this attitude. She “ had a good mind not to go,” she told Magistrate, but unfortunately for her she did go arid fell iuto the hands f the police affccr shatiering a wmdow with the hammer. She was bailed out > Mr Pethick Lawrence, who was an entire stranger to her, and on tho'following da >’ weS seilteuced *° two tbs’ imprisonment witn hard labour. The unhappy dressmaker addla, nntlietically that she wanted to got ■ ? to her small child, who “needed a mother’s care.” Evidently she had

been a mere tool in the hands of the suffragette leaders.

* wife’s allowance

The Appeal Division of the United States Supreme Court has

reached a deadlock in an attempt; to decide what are “ necessaries ” for the wife of a man who has an income of £9OOO a year, ’flio trouble has arisen over a tailor’s account, Mrs Peck, a resident in -New York, having purchased articles of clothing worth £ll3, and her husband having refused to pay the bill. Mrs Peck made the purchases on the eve of a visit Vo Europe, and instead of paying for them out of her own allowance, she claimed that it was her husband’s duty to provide her with suitable clothing before, she went abroad. Mr Peck protested. He admitted that his income was £9OOO a year, but he said that he allowed his wife £3OO a month for pin-money; and £7 a week for “ cabs and lunches.” aaid he refused to give her, either directly or indirectly, a larger share of His income. Mrs Peck’s tailor sued Mr Peck, but the Court gave judgment for the defendant, and the tailor appealed. The deadlock is the result. The majority of the judges of the Appeal Division have accented the principle that “ certain things are necessary to wealthy ladies which are not necessary to poorer women,” but only half the members of the Court are prepared to hold that Mrs Peck purchased only necessaries. The dissenting judges declare that Mrs Peek was financed amply when her husband gave her £4OOO out of his income of £9OOO, and that she should pay for • all her own clothing. The case has aroused groat interest in America, as the curious domestic litigation that goes on in that country always does, and the women’s clubs have been debating it freely. It has revived the discussion of the question of payment for wives, and the clubs are asserting that the independence and dignity of a married woman cannot bo sustained while the wife " lives dependent on the alms of her husband.” Most of the organisations urge that a wife should receive one-third of her husband’s income as her own allowance. This is apart from the “salary” which some American wives demand for their services as housekeepers.

CAREERS FOR BLUEJACKETS.

Mr Winston Churchill’s schemes for the reorganisation of the Navy include one of exceptional interest for the rank and file

of the workers on his Majesty’s ships. There is a shortage of about one hundred officers in the Navy, and as the authorities cannot wait for additional officers to be trained they have decided ■to open the commissioned ranks to bluejackets. The seaman who becomes a warrant-officer while he is still a young man is to enjoy an opportunity for promotion to the rank of “ command warrant-officer,” which is equivalent to that of sub-lieutenant, and after serving in that position he is to be eligible for promotion by merit to the positions of lieutenant and commander. Warrant-officers who are too old to selected for active commissioned service afloat will be permitted, after fifteen years’ service, to obtain a rank equivalent to that of a sub-lieutenant, and then will either retire or secure, positions in the shore'staff of the Navy.! The innovation is enormously important. It is contemplated at present only as a temporary measure, but it is understood that successful results almost certainly will ensure its permanent adoption. In announcing his proposals Mr Churchill made it clear that only the younger warrant-officers would be promoted, and that they probably would not be encouraged to aspire higher than the rank of commander. “They will be eligible for promotion to higher ranks,”- the First Lord said, “ but I anticipate that the great bulk of them will retire" content with a career which will have carried them from bluejacket to commander, and so we shall avoid a block in promotion which might produce aged captains and venerable admirals, and be injurious to the efficiency of a fighting service.” During the past twenty years the Admiralty has managed to obtain a fairly youthful and vigorous staff of officers for each rank in the'Navy, and it will not raise a man of advanced age to an active command. In a few cases probably men of phenomenal ability will rise to very high rank, but even for those who are destined only to become commanders a new career of exceptional promise lias been opened. ,