LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY.

White Ribbon, Volume 25, Issue 298, 19 April 1920, Page 16

LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY.

Supt.: Miss Henderson. Owing to the fact that we had two polls on the liquor question in lqiq, many of our Unions have not been able to give any attention to the Legal and Parliamentary Department although several very important questions have had to be dealt with. Early in the year the Minister of Defence put forward a scheme for military training, under which « was projx»sed that youths of 18 years and over should be compelled to go into camp every year for four months’ continuous military training. The Unions were asked to send a protest against the scheme to the Minister of Defence and to the member of Parliament for the district. The following Unions report that this was done: Nelson, Ashburton. Hamilton. Christchurch, Richmond, Hawera, Timaiu, Oxford, Grey mouth, Rakaia, Tinwald, Winchmore - Greenstreet, Opotiki, Invercargill District, Feild ing. The year has seen the triumph of one reform for which our Unions have worked since the franchise was granted in 1803. In accordance with a promise given m iqiß, the Prime Minister introduced in the session of iqh) a Bill granting to women the right to enter Parliament. The Bill as passed by the Lower House proposed to make women eligible for the Lower House, and to give them also the right of nomination to the Legislative Council. The latter provision was deleted by the Council, and the Bill as finally passed conferred the right for the Lower House only. The rapidity with which this legislation passed through all its stages did not permit of an appeal being made to all the Ur ions to support the Bill and pro test against the action of the Council. Wires were, however, sent to the* District Unions, and all of these took immediate action. Last Convention decided that the questions which come up annually for re-affirmation should this year he submitted to the candidates for Parliament at the general election, consequently the Unions were asked to submit to all candidates the following questions: Are you in favour of: (1) The raising of the age of consent to 21 years? (2) The extension of the time limit during which an information can be laid for criminal assault (;) The abolition of the power of the accused person in a charge of criminal assault to plead as a palliation of his offence that he believed the girl to be over 16 years of age? (4) The appointment of women (1) as Tustices of the Peace; (2) as jurors to assist in cases where

women and children are concerned i (5) 1 he appointment of women police? (0) Ihe raising of the age of marriage to i.n years for both sexe*;. The majority of the candidates who replied were in favour of the suggest < d reforms. Reports in this connection have been received from \uckL.no, Eden, Christchurch, Rakaia, Kuiapoi, Wellington District, Welling ton Central, Lower ilutt. Grey town, Palmerston North, Opotiki, Ponsonby, I'aoroa, Woodville, Wanganui District, 1 eliding, New Brighton, LytteL ton, I'imaru, Ashburton, Tinwald, W inchmore-Greenstreet, W hangarci, and Dunedin. Convention having decided that an effort should be made to get ordinary widows’ pensions paid on the same basis as those granted to epidemic widows, viz., 25s for the widow and 10s per week for each c hild, the resolution passed by Convention was forwarded to the ilon. W. Massey, the Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, and the .Minister in charge of the Pensions Department. The reply received was that the matter would receive consideration. As the session passed, however, .rnd nothing was done, a letter of indignant protest was sent to the leaders of both parties, and a copy of the letter was also sent to every member of Parliament. In the last hours of tin* session legislation was passed granting 7s (»d a week to the widow herself, provided, of course, that she has cniidien, and 7s fd per week or each child. At the same time the Government indicated that it was possible that in i<>2o session tfir in n: ton would he brought up to the amount asked or. viz., 25s and los. Henderson, Leigh, Auckland, South Invercargill, Canterbury Provincial ( invention, and Wellington Provincial Convention report that, the Government was urged to increase the pension. Dunedin District Union reports: Thanks to the Prime Minister for Wo men’s Parliamentary Rights Act also for Prohibition of Liquor in Samoa, «tlo supported a request that all shops .*nd offices should he brought under the Act, so as to ensure inspection with regard to proper heating and sanitation ; also sup|x>rted requests for raising to 18 years the age of young people dealt with in Juvenile Courts. Auckland. Christchurch, Ashburton, Oxford, protested against the carriage of liquor on the railways during the* period of restricted railway service. Ashburton and Bluff protested against the permission of drunkenness on the trains. Waimate urged the appointment of women police and women jurors. Otahuhu also urged the appointment of women police,

Wellington Provincial Convention, Palmerston Ninth, and Timaru Union* urged the Government to provide free dental and medical treatment toi sc hool children. Lyttelton, Bluff, Ashburton, T inwald, W inchmore-Greenstreet, and Rakaia asked for the closing of hotel bars during the Peace Celebrations.