WOMEN'S CONFERENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13288, 20 May 1905, Page 7

WOMEN'S CONFERENCE.

.. \}»; M n , J - ' 'Press Assoowtiba—By Telejiiph—Copyright ■' ■;* ■_ SYDNEY, May 18. r.;-, '(Reqeited May 19,, at 8.55 a>m.) ;'Tlio Women's Conference resolved that Coloiis&l.lfibqiir is necessary in tropical Australia to prevent ihe deterioration of the \ white, race.' Another motion > was , - carried in favour of the compulsory military training ,of, youths and the instruction of. young-women in the «sa of firearms for the purpose of, defending their persons "and country in case of need. - (Received May 20, at 0,5 a.m.) The Women's Conference passed a resolution strongly favouring uniform divorce laws throughout the Commonwealth, and that the grounds" for divorce should be tnaile equal for men and women. Statistics we're quoted showing that the proportion of divorces to marriages was:—Westralia, 1 in 555; Queensland, 1 in 435;' Sonth | Australia, 1 in 400; Victoria, 1 in 74 j | New South Wales, 1 in 36. Careless mothers were - most to blame for unhappy marriages. The're was a preponderance of opinion that divorce was too easy. ' The Conference also resolved in favour of a further reduction of the number of members of the State Parliament, with an increase in payment sufficient to attract Ihe ablest men; also, the emendation of the Arbitration Act so as to make it answer the purposo for which it was brought into .existence. It was contended the effect had been interference with the ordinary course of business, instead of preventing strikes, and that it pressed in many ways upon employers and caused increased demands by the workers.