WOMEN’S COUNCIL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11303, 31 August 1922, Page 3

WOMEN’S COUNCIL

CONFERENCE AT CHRISTGHTJHCH. QUESTIONS FOR PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES. PETS PRESS ASSOCIATION. .CHRISTCHURCH, August 30. At the conference of the National Council of Women, a remit from the executive, embodying a request from the National Council of Women of Great Britain to support its efforts to ; secure for married women the same right to choice of nationality as granted to men was unnnimouslv supported. A remit, from Dunedin, that in every largo school the responsibilities of the senior class mistress shall include special attention to the health, morals, and manners of girls, general supervision and teaching of a correlated sdheme of lessons in elementary pysiology and hygiene, and general oversight of all mattere specially affecting the welfare of girls, was adopted. NON-PARTY BODY. A further remit from Dunedin, reaffirming tho non-party non-sectarian nature of the council was explained. The reason for the Dunedin branch bringing forward the remit was oif ac-count-of the fact that the President of the New Zealand Council (Miss Melville) was a candidate for Parliament at the next General Election. Speakers pcinted out that the president was a free agent, and in any case she was standing as 1 an Independent and was attached to no party. The council was not responsible for the political or religious beliefs of any of its members. The remit was adopted. . AMENDMENT 'ID CRIMES ACT. “Will you support an amendment to the Crimes Act providing for the raising of the age of consent to 13 years, the extension of time to twelve months during which an information may be laid of criminal assault; deletion of the clause allowing reasonable cause to believe a girl of an age to consent as sufficient defence to a charge under clause 216 of the Act. These questions the National Council of Women decided to-day should be put to candidates at the General Election. The council also decided- to ask candidates whether they would support the recommendation of women’s societies that the law he amended to allow for the appointment of women jurors. MORE CLINICS SUPPORTED. The conference by 19 votes to 9 passed the following motion: “That this conference protests against any proposal to introduce compulsory notification and treatment of venereal disease, and urges that the Government should increaso tho opportunities for free ■ treatment at homes and in places suitable for both sexes.’’