“CIVIS” ON THE HEN CONVENTION.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 683, 9 April 1903, Page 23

“CIVIS” ON THE HEN CONVENTION.

The Women's Convention expresses by its existence and its declared objects the maternal instinct native to women. Every good woman, married or unmarried, must always be mothering something or somebody. Married women, mother their babies, as is lit and proper. This function ended, or babies being for any reason not available, there remains the community,at large. The Women’s Convention is a combination of good women for mothering ' mankind generally. We are not to drink beer, wine, or spirits —mother says 1 no. Why does she'say no ? —do you ask ? Because drinking these desirable liquids isn't good for us. Why isn’t it good for usi ? Because it isn’t J In arguments with mbther this “ woman’s reason ” is final, and there should be no attempt to get behind it. Moreover, since mankind is in these matters weak, mother will put the beer, and wine, and spirits clean away out of reach, locking the cupboard and pocketing the key. Then, again, we are not to gamble. Very good ; no more we oughn’t. But neither may we have a rubber of whist at sixpenny points ; nor may we drop half-a-crown over an art union for the raffling of a picture. We must do as mother tells us, and mother says! these tilings are just as bad as betting on horses. Once again, we are not to smoke. This seems hard lines, but mother objects to tobacco’in all its forms. With what energy she objects may be seen in the newspaper report of her recent “ proceedings.” Miss Kirk (Wellington) submitted a Verbal report on the subject of " Narcotics,” in which the pernicious cigarette was much in evidence.

Miss Roberts (Chrictchurch) expresses! a desire to move in the direction of protesting against the practice of smoking among the clergy, and thought it was setting a very bad example to their congregations. Mrs Webb (Ormondville) said she only knew of two clergymen in the colony who smoked, and did not agree that the practice was. prevalent. Her own husband (a clergyman) never touched pipe, cigar, or cigarette in his life. Mrs Ritchie (Kaiapoi) claimed to have the honour of being the wife of a nonsmoking Presbyterian, and proceeded to give an instance of a Christchurch youth who died at the early age of eighteen, a victim to cigarette smoking. Mrs Gaskin (Greymouth) favoured legislation to restrict the use of tobacco, especially among juveniles. The spectacle of these maids and matrons attempting to mother us all, reclaiming us to the maternal apron-strings, is .pathetic. But that is the worst of it. D?hey won’t do any harm. The nature of woman is that in anticipation of babies she has dolls : when babies are over and done she has a Women’s Convention.