SOCIAL PROGRESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19040, 10 June 1925, Page 12

SOCIAL PROGRESS.

THE COUNCIL OF WOMEN. CONFERENCE AT WASHINGTON. [DY TELEGRAPH.'—MESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. At the conference of tho Council of Women, held in Washington recontly, 42 countries were represented. Mrs. Fraer, president of the Christchurch branch of the Women's National Council, who was a delegate, returned by the Makura. She sat on the committees of the conference dealing with education, suffrage and equal moral standard for men and women. ' '

"They would persist in thinking New Zealand a little Garden of Eden," said Mrs.. Fracr, "and they would not believe us when wo told them that wo had no women justices of tho peace, no women magistrates, no women jurors, no women members of Parliament, no women police. 'lt is simply not possible,' thoy said. 'We have salways heard that New Zealand is so progressive.' " » Mrs. Frsier came to the conclusion that apart from these matters New Zealand had'no reason to be ashamed of itself in regard to progress and social conditions. Undoubtedly, however, the women of the Scandinavian countries were the most progressive of all, .and had travelled further than others along the road to-social, pojitica] and civic freedom. One of the members of tho English delegation was Miss Tancred, a lieutenant in the London police force. Miss Tancred was born in Christchurch, but' was brought up in London, and showed herself a particularly able woman.

For the first time in its history China was represented at the conference.