LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY.

White Ribbon, Volume 27, Issue 332, 18 April 1922, Page 21

LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY.

Supt.: Miss Ife*nelerson. The principal work of thi.; department during the year has been: (I) The organising of protest* against the* proposal to increase the number of totalisntor permits; (2) the* circulation of a f»- tit ion asking that women should In* eligible fe»r appointment <i* J.P.’s, police patrols, and Jurors; (3) securing protests against the proposals containe*el in a suggested Soc ial Hygiene Bill to secure compulsory notification and compulsory examination and treatment in cases of V.!>. With very few* except'on: the Unions sent lo their M.P.'s end to the Minister for Internal Affair* strong protests against the granting of additional tntalisator permits. Fortunately, the interc*sts of M P.’s were strongly conflicting on this matter, and the report of the Racing Commission was not given effect to, and there has been no incren.* •* of permit*. The petition dealing with the appointment of women ns J.P.’s. etc , wn** well taken up ly a majority of the Unions, and a large number of signatures of le: Jer* in religious organisations and social w*ork w;i* secured. The I’edition < ommittee. however, treated the p ti * 1 or* with scant ceremony, reporting to the He use that they had no recommendation to make Resolutions confirming the opposition of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union to compulsory measures in dealing with V.D., and affirming belief in free voluntary, scientific treatment, tn education u|>on right lin***. and In In.*:*’ence on an equal moral standard for both *e\es, were passed by the Proxinrial Convention* of Otago nn ’ HmithLand, Canterbury. Wellington, Hawke’s Ray. and Auckland, nnd hv Christchurch. Wellington. Wanganui, ard Auckland Unions. Auckland. Onehumrn. Wellington (District and Central). Oxford, and Ash

burton co-operated with oth* r women’* organisations 1n securing: signatures to petitions asking: for amendments of the Crimes Act in the direction of securing more adequate protection for young? girls. Unions in the Canterbury district assisted with a canvass for signatures to a petition asking for an amendment of the Divorce Act of 1920. Auckland cooperated with the National Council of Women in a public protest against this Act. Canterbury Provincial Convention also sent a protest to the Government against the same Act. Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury Conventions urged upon the Government amendments of the Crimes Act, the appointment of officers of Ihe Court to collect maintenance dues, and the establishment of a system of compulsory reproductive work for persistent defaulters in regard to the payment of maintenance dues. Canterbury Convention further urged that widows’ pensions should t>o put upon the surne footing as those of epidemic widows, and that the wives of chronic Invalids should be placed upon the same footing with regard to pensions as the wives of mentally afflicted men; that mothers should be given equal lights of guardianship with the fathers of children; that the

father of an illegitimate child should be made equally responsible with the mother for the welfare of the child; that the Minister of Railways should be asked to prohibit drinking on trains. Otago and Southland Convention urged that the attendance of children at picture shows should be regulated; also that the Government Ik* urgvd to continue its "Prohibition” policy in Samoa. Invercargill reports havin'? secured a mitigation of the sentence Inflicted by the local Court upon a young girl. Stratford protested against the continuance of indentured lulrour in Samoa. In respect to legislation of special interest to the Women’s Christian T« .n-------pemnee Union, I have to report that, owing possibly to the lateness of the s«ssion of Parliament and pressure of business, no Social Hygiene Rill was introdueed this session; also that the Petitions Committee of the House reported with regard to the petition asking for the raising of the age of com*nt and for the extending of the time limit that as these were controversial matters, it had no recommendation to make, while the petition for the abolition of the plea of "reasonable cause to believe” was recommended to the favourable consideration of the House. Notwithstanding the favourable report from the Commit-

tee in this case, nothing w'as done. I have also to teport that (1) the Divorce Act of 1920 has been amended by the provision that if an application for divorce on account of separation Is made by the guilty paCy, and the other party objects, the divorce cannot be granted; (?) the Legitimation Act has been am* nded so ns to make complete provision for the legitimation of children born out of wedlock on the suhsequent marriage of the parents. In the old Act there was a proviso that If at the date of the birth of the child there existed any legal impediment to marriage legitimation could not bo allowed. This has been repea led 4>y the amending Act of thus year; provision has also iK'en made that in the case of a man who hjis married the mother of a child, born lnfore their marriage, dying without securing th< legitimation of the child, the mother may make application for legitimation. (3) The Destitute Persons Maintenance Act has been amended so as to enable maintenance onl« rs made in Great Britain to be enforced in New Zealand. It also provides that an offieer of the Court may be appointed to collect maintenance du*s. The latter provision Is all that we have been able to secure ns the result of our agitation to have officers appointed.