MEN AND WOMEN SHOULD BE EQUAL

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6613, 18 May 1928, Page 7

MEN AND WOMEN SHOULD BE EQUAL

Lords Decline to Alter Testamentary Law

INTERESTING OPINIONS OP NOTED JURISTS

Aust. Press Assn.-United Service, Received Thursday, 5.5 p,m, LONDON, May 17,

In the House of Lords, Lord Astor moved for the appointment of a select committee to consider the testimentary law especially with a view to preventing a man cutting oil his wife and family with a shilling and leaving Ins estate to some other woman. The laws of Scotland and Australia prevented such an injustice yet there was a famous case in England when a man under an early will left his wife 31s a week and the rest to charity. Ho left £500,000. Another left £30,000 to his wife and children, but £1,000,000 to his mistress and his illegitimate children.

Lord Haldane doubted whether any judge was capable wisely of varying wills. Perhaps the bishops might undertake it or they could trust public opinion to compel men to do the right thing. Lord Buckmaster disliked Lord Aster’s underlying assumptions that women were dependent on men and that men evaded their obligations. Men and women should bo socially and economically equal, free end independent. It should not do more surprising to see a woman seek to earn her living than men. When a woman married it was too frequently regarded as the best means of px'oviding for her for life. That was an extremely degrading way of regarding the relationship.

Lord Hailsham opposed the proposition, but agreed that at present there were some hard cases. There would be more under Lord Aster’s suggestion. If a man determined to cut off his wife and family he would find a way of doing so whatever the testamentary law said. The proposition would entail washing a groat deal of dirty linen in public. Prince Carol was evidently in an