There was a gathering of several hundred ladies at Clifton, recently on the occasion of the 25th anniversary conference of the National Council of Women There were delegates from almost all parts the country and from overseas.
In the course of her presidential addyes Mrs. Gordon said giving the vote to women was one step to reform, but a very long way from granting facilities for all the refor: s which were especially urged by women. he first step towards further progress was to get more women in Parliament, and the second to make it clear to men candidates that if they were to represent their women constituents properly they would be expected to support those urgent reforms upon which women were agreed.
The election of the president for the year was carried out during the day on proportional representation principles. Meanwhile a re: solution calling on the Government to establish that system for Parliamentary and municipal elections was adopted almost without dissent.
The next subject discussed was illegitimate children, and a resolution urged that responsibility of the father to maintain his child should receive increased recognition, and that reciprocal enforce ment of court orders should be arranged between Great Britain and the colonies.
An amendment urging the equal responsibility of both parents was accepted, and the amended resolution was carried unanimously.
On the question of widows' pensions the Countess of Selborne, who supported a resolution urging their introduction, said "no one with experience of Poor Law working could do other than favour the scheme. She did not favour the pensioning of childless widows wae could earn their living.
Several points in opposition were raised, such as the age of the children at which the pensions to mothers would cease, but eventually the resolution was adopted.
There was virtual unanimity 'n support of a resolution protesting against the injustice involved in the taxation together of incomes of husbands and wives, which—perpetrated a system which imposed a tax on marriage, and absolute unanimity on resolutions supporting the Legalization of Adoption and Guardianship of Infants Bill.
There was a general opinion that the law in relation to the evidence in criminal ault cases went as far as was safe. No one wanted convictions obtained on uncorroborated testimony of precocious children, and a resolution urging the admission of unsworn and uncorroborated evidence of young children was referred to the Ex ecutive.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.