THE CONSTITUTION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 7 April 1934, Page 10

THE CONSTITUTION

■SOME DANGERS In un address on “Constitutional Dangers,” Lord Buekmaster said the one tiling essential to life and growth was change,' ajid lie thought it would I). a good thing if. on the'mantelpiece of every Parliament, and even every local authority, there was placed a row of fossils of extinct forms of life, underneath which was written in hold litters: “Wo perish: d because we could not change.” Commenting upon the House of Commons, Lord Buckmaster averred that the procedure and rules were ipiite out ot date. Un--1 sc, the House could act more swiftly there was a danger of people getting dissatisfied and trying to adopt some other means. Regarding the House of Lords, they must make up their minds whether they meant to have a second Chamber or not, hilt he said confidently that a second Chamber was an essential safeguard lo a successful Parliament. He believed Hint its help had been of immeasurable service to the legislation of .the country, and he knew of no measure of social reform that had been before the House of Lords during the last HI years that had been defeated or obstructed in ils passage. There were ether dangers to the Constitution. Certain newspapers, he declared, had deliberately excluded fioni their columns the discussion of public affairs. There never was a time when it was more vital that every man and woman in the country should lie kepi abreast of public matters. Further, if they wanted to strengthen the Constitution they had to do more I ban they had done to help the women. Men and women should stand sole by side independently. Woman : uld have her own life and purpose, and do

her own work, and hold her owe in the buttle of the world, and not nd: to man for her protection. |