WOMEN AS JUSTICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19394, 31 July 1926, Page 12

WOMEN AS JUSTICES.

DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL. SUPPORT AND'. OPPOSITION SECOND READING CARRIED. [bi* telegraph..—special reporter.] WELLINGTON. Friday. The suitability or otherwise of women to take their part in the administration of the law and occupy positions as justices of the peace was discussed in the Legislative Council to-day, when the Justices of the Petce Amendment Bill was read a second time, and members who had opposed the measure on its previous appearances gave it their support. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes said the Council had on two occasions rejected a' bill providing for women justices of the peace, and he thought the time had arrived when the Council should give'its sanction to the proposal. Women had proved successful justices in England, and they should be equally successful here. The Hoa. E. Newman said hitherto he had never seen any desire on the part of women to hold positions of justices of the peace, but during the past year there had been a distinct tendency toward it. He thought women police would be useful in some directions. If women wished to sit on juries ho believed in allowing them to do so. Se had opposed the bill in the past, but would support it on this occasion. The Hon. W. H. Mclntyre expressed himself as consistently against women as justices. The huge bulk of the women of the country in his opinion did not wish to become justices. The wives, and daughters of the working class had neither the time nor the inclination to take up these positions. He. would vote for the clause, however, only because the other House had passed it, and it was not the duty of the Council to block • legislation. The Hon. W. Earnshaw said that if a woman took up a man's duty she would have to share his burdens. This was .only the persistent pressure of women's organisations, which he suggested did not represent the womanhood of the Dominion. "I have no time," he said, "for women's meddlesome interference in what I. cofi: sider to be man's function, and in the future the" nation will rue the day when they allowed the women to wear the breeches in administrative affairs." The Hon. M. Cohen supported women justices and said women realised that they would have to be placed on an equality with men in matters affecting the welfare of the people. There were thousands of women in New Zealand to-day who were the bread-winners of their families. It' was this class of woman who was asking for the position of justice.' He predicted that by this time next-year the opponents of the bill would be ready to admit that they has misjudged the character of the women in New Zealand, j , The Hon. L. M. Isitt said he couljl not conscientiously voie for tbe;biU. He would therefore absent the Chamber when the division was-taken.' „■ Sir R. Heaton Rhodes §aid w£ert the Government sent a measure to the Council'it was not the custom to upset it without good reason. , • ~ The bill was read a.',second tim£. - !' BETTING PROSECUTIONS. | , - ■ • .. - ft" /v.* ■-'% ! •• "■ ■ —~... ; --/r• I REVENUE FOR THE STATE. i ' ; _i. v .,_ |. SUM OF £2709 IN A YEA£. i . . '-/•. I • . ■ ■ " : ,v-. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL. - BEPOBTER.] I WELLINGTON;. Friday ; A ; considerable sum .finds' its way into ' the "coffers of the SUte -as : .the"-result .of , the prosecutions under /the j Last year there weje 432 prosecutions," resulting in 393.,;convictiohs£>as against' 467. prosecutions "and 386 convictions in 19k. ' . ;: :V -v, _. The annual report of the Commissioner of Police, which was presented to Parliament this week, states "that >lll prosecutions were: taken against bookmakers, the' return being 86 convictions, accompanied by fines amounting to £2709. The offences were distributed as under:— , ■ '■■■• Prose- Convicr Fiije cutions'.. tiona. Carrying on.' 'business ' ' of bookmaker .. . , 23 10 910 Keeping common gaming house ■ .. 24 21 1045 Found in .common gaming house .. .. 2D 19 39 Laying totalisator odds? 14 12 180 Publishing betting charts 20 17 185 Street betting . .. 9 6 340 Betting with infanta .. 1 1 • 10 Totals .. .. 1U 86% 2709 - . r LOCAL BODIES' LOANS. BILL READ SECOND TIMf. -j PRIME MINISTER'S UNDERTAKING, i .; ■ * [By TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Fridoy.., In the course of the debate in the early hours of this morning on the second read-', ing of the Local Authorities' Loans Board Sill, Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, said the bill would mean a great delay, because of its circumlocution. It further meant that local bodies would' not be able to raise loans when and where they liked, and practically stripped local bodies of all powers they now had in the matter of the raising of money. It circumscribed power's which should be extended. He found no particular fault with the constitution of the board, but local bodies should have a direct representative on the board. He would like to see the bill go before the committee, so that tho opinion of local bodies on it might be secured. Sir John Luke ' welcomed the bill, because a board of experts would be of great service to many small local bodies, to whom their advice would be invaluable. . Sir Joseph Ward doubted that means of controlling local bodies' borrowing would bo found in this bill.. He thought the board was unworkable, and the proper person to control borrowing was the Minister of Finance. That power should rest with the Government of the day. The idea underlying the bill was good, but it should crot be rushed through this session. During the recess Ipcal bodies could consult together, and see whether they could devise some safe system of controlling local borrowing. Eventually the second reading was carried, the Prime Minister stating that he would defer the committee stage for a period sufficient to enable local bodies to express their opinions on the bill. FARMING IN BOROUGHS. THE BURDEN OF RATING. * [b*y telegraph.—special hepobter.3 < i ■ WELLINGTON. Friday. Recently 126 ratepayers of Tauranga petitioned Parliament to amend the Valuation of Land Act, 1908, so as to give relief .iom urban rating to areas in boroughs'that are and can be used for farming purposes only. To-day .the Public Petitions Committee recommended the request to the Government for favourable consideration with a suggestion that effect be giveh to a similar proposal made by the last municipal conference.