The Star. FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1895. To-Day.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5338, 16 August 1895, Page 2

The Star. FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1895. To-Day.

• — - . .] " Wi have all heard pi the Brotherhood of Man, and what it haa accomplished for the good of the race. Looming wide and ) clear on the horizon appears the Sisterhood; of Woman, with all its glorious possibili \ ies of love and service." So spoke Uhe ; lady who presided last evening at a social! gathering that had been devised by the! Women's Political Association, the crowded : attendance whereat evidenced a healthy i and strongly growing interest in I the of the box. The purpose of the opening address, which waa! a model of its kind, was really to do what ia not needed— to justify the admission. of ..women to the franchise. It was pointed oat— and legislators will do well to bear in mind that women possess retentive memories— that when the proposal was seriously made to give women equality in the franchise, one prominent politician declared that if so undesirable a law were enacted, a number of most excellent women would be " compelled " to go to the poll to reoord their votes. The reply that has been famished by experience is clear enough. Large numbers of most excellent women did go' to the poll, not by compulsion, but because they realised to the full the nature of their newly acquired privilege and its attendant responsibilities. And the women in this electorate did something more. They had already an intelligent grasp of political questions, and, having definite aims in view, they c&nvaesed, held frequent meetings, worked systematically and untiringly, as registration agents, and in every possible way advanced the cause of Liberalism. Oms of the tangible results of that work was that a few score of the workers resolved to keep in touch with one another, holding that it was imperatively necessary to meet at fairly frequent intervals and study matters affecting the common weal. So came into existence the Womea's Political Association, a toody that haß, to our knowledge, done an immense amount of thoroughly good work. It goes without saying that such an Association gives special prominence to those questions which more closely affect women, but none the less it seems never to have lost sight of the desirability for conserving the interests of the country on the broadest poßßible basis. It has read and discussed papers on social and general subjects j it has studied proposed measures and compared them with the existing law, and it has been in frequent communication with. Parliamentary representatives, expressing approval or disapproval, and suggesting such modifications as seemed desirable in the light of practical knowledge. If in connection with the enfranchisement of women one fact stands out more clearly than another, it is that the women ot New Zealand will assuredly not be behind the men of the country in their political knowledge, in their sympathetic study of the questions that may arise from time to time, and in the effect that they are able to produoe in determining the issue of electoral contests. We learned, in connection with the gathering in question, the precise nature of the platform that the Women's Political. Association has formulated, and we have keen pleasure in acting as the first medium for its publication. It is as follows:— " (1) The Brotherhood of Man, and especially the Sisterhood of Woman. (2) The equality of the sexes, in education and occupation, equal wage for equal work, irrespective of sex; and equal responsibility for equal sin, alao irrespective of sex. (3) The protection of the law for girls, from girlhood to womanhood. (4) The classification of criminals ; the reformation of criminals instead of their revengeful punishment. (5) The abolition of violent deaths fty State murder; in other words, the abolition of capital punishment. (6) A living wage for all, in order to undermine sweating in all its forms. (7) That land be as free as air for all." Such a platform as this may assuredly be described as ""Broad-based upon the people's will," and constitutes a striking reply to those who imagined that the advent of women to political power would mean a relapsing into a condition of narrow-minded Conservatism. The proposal ol the Government to set up a joint committee of both Houses to consider the affairs of the Bank of New Zealand in relation to the Assets Company, waß adopted yesterday as regards the Upper Chamber. The Council also passed through its final stages the Bill relating to Louis Chemis, so that the way has now been made dear for a new trial. In the House of Representatives, the debate on the Finanoial Statement was proceeded with. One of the principal speakers was the Hon W. J. M. Larnach, who showed himself to be a straight-out advocate of a borrowing policy, holding that financial rest meant financial rot, and that the beet course would be to go in for a five million loan for the completion of unfinished works j such loan to

last daring th« present century, Mr Tanner urged the necemity for economy ; in administration, and ronndly con- ; demned the inaatmty of the Lands ' Minister with regard to settlement in - ; Canterbury. There were tome half-dozen other speakers, who simply helped to make the Hansard report more voluminous. Yesterday's talk may, we hope, be regarded as the beginning of the end; and it may be reasonably assumed that tomorrow will bring the olobb of the debate, and a procedure with the business of the ; cbuntry. j Ws desire specially to direot the atten- j tion of our readers to the entertainment j that is to be given in the Theatre Royal j on Monday evening. The purpose of the promoters is literally to " feed the hungry" by securing means for a continuance of the system of relief work. The Winter Work Fund -Committee ia confronted with the fact that many families in this community are yet in sore need of help, and that this help must be found in Borne way. The members of the Sir Henry fiiahop Glee Society have in the moat generous -manner undertaken to provide the greater part of the programme, and from the announcement it will berseen that a really enjoyable evening is assured. That enjoyment will be .intensified by the knowledge that every person present will not only be contributing directly to the relief fund, but will be •securing Government assistance also. It is an easy and a {pleasant way that is open for demonstrating that the Brotherhood of Man is something more than a mere phrase, and we earnestly hope that tho Theatre Royal will be crowded to the doors.