I he Keview ot Keviews. 



December, tcii: 



tactless and ludicrous attituik- assumed by Mr. 

 Willis. Dressed in a little brief authority, he plays 

 such fantastic tricks before high heaven as must 

 make the angels weep. The' Ministerial party, 

 equally with the Opposition, are at heart tired of 

 the burlesque, but they ha\e to sit docile under the 

 Speaker's glaring inconsistencies and unfair rulings 

 or court defeat in a division. Tn a comic opera cast 

 Mr. Willis would lie a huge .success, and no theatre 

 ill th<' countrv would hold the crowds of amusement- 

 seekers who would flock to see him in his Gilbertian 

 role. As a Speaker he has lamentably failed, for 

 since his advent to the "chair," Parliamentary de- 

 corum in New South Wales has become an unknown 

 quantity. 



One of the Sydney dailies (the 

 A Parliament's Sun) is meeting burlesque with bur- 

 Red Roll, le.s(iue, much to the disadvantage of 

 'Nir. Willis, with all his- stage 

 eqiiijiments to aid him— The name of every- member 

 ejected by the S]»aker is lieing added to a " Red 

 Roll," which keeps the public posted as to the 

 enormity of the Opposition's sins. The record to 

 the tinir of writing reads : — August i. — J. J. Cdlien, 

 Barrister, Petersham, tor calling the Labour Party 

 a "push." August 8. — J. C. L. Fitzpatrick, jour- 

 nalist. Orange, for omitting to say " Mr." August 

 14. — J. C. L. Fitzpatrick, journali.st, Orange, for 

 accusing Mr. S])eaker of " faking " Hansard. 

 August 20. — John Meehan, shearer. The Darling, 

 for sjjeaking out of his turn, , August 21, — \V. H. 

 W<X)d, gentleman, Bega, for aspiring to leader- 

 .ship, August 27. — -J. J. Cohen, barrister. Peter- 

 sham, for disclaiming .sectarian iircjudico. August 

 29. — The Daily Telegraph for inciting members to 

 interrupt the orderly conduct of business. Septem- 

 Ix'r 5. — W. H. Wood, gentleman, Bega, for making 

 a sfwech. Sej)tember 25.- — J. J. C'ohen, barrister, 

 Petersham, for trying to make a speech. September 

 26. — J, ('. I-. Fitzpatrick, journalist, Orange, for 

 c<'asing to make a s]>eech. Ocloloer 2, — J, C. 

 Meehan, sheaier, The Darling, for calling Coloml 

 Onslow "a coot." Octol^r 8.— W. H. W<x)d, 

 gentleman, Bega, for teing inquisitive. October 17. 

 — E, Lonsdale, gentleman, .-Xrmidale, because he 

 objected, October 24. — J. C. L. Fitzpatrick, jour- 

 nalist. Orange, for applauding the Premier. 

 November 6, — J, ('. McH-han, shearer. The Darling, 

 for the laying on of hands. Nov<,ml)er 15. — John 

 Periy, gentleman, The Richmond, for not Ix'ing pre- 

 sent, November 18. — A, Brunlnell, gentleman, An- 

 nandale, for non-stifling the truth. November 18. 



— J. J. (!ohen, barrister. Petersham, for not agree- 

 ing with the Speaker. November 18. — D. Levy, 

 .solicitor, Darlinghurst, for fearing the Hou.se would 

 1)6 disgraced. November 18. — J. Fallick, gentle- 

 man, Singleton, for being irritated by the Sj^eaker. 

 Could anything l>e funnier? 



The meetings of the National Coun- 

 The_ National cilof Women, .sitting in' Melbourne, 

 of Women. '^^^'^ t)een of practical interest. For 

 •iiirv of atmosphere such gather- 

 ings compare more than favourably with similar 

 gatherings of the sterner sex. Women are new yet 

 to politics and public life generally, but their day 

 of triumph is fast approaching, and their natural 

 tendency to take a common-sense view of things gives 

 a hopeful colouring to the outlook. Lady Denman's 

 interest in the work of the Council is warm and 

 friendly. Her suggestion, that the several State 

 councils should co-operate and w'ork in unison, to 

 bring ui) the same work at the same time, and thus 

 seek to create public opinion on (juestions impor- 

 tant to women all o\er the Commonwealth, is a de- 

 cidedly practical one, and merits consideration. Her 

 idea is that each year .special subjects should be 

 selected for study, and the concurrent work of the 

 councils moulded on those lines. This, in her 

 opinion, would lead to better, practical results than 

 the present promiscuous discussion ot subj«t.s. 



^liss Rose Scott's paper on laws re- 

 lating to women and children was 



Happy Women. 



characteristic of that ladv, the value 



of wiio.se laliotn- for the cause of 

 women cannot Ix; over-estimateil. Her name ranks 

 with the late Miss Silence's as a champion of 

 women's rights. Tn her paper, she advocated uut 

 only the alxjlition of restrictive laws concerning 

 women, but the making of effective new laws. She 

 had read in a German paper that " the women of 

 Australia were quite happy." They certainly had 

 the vote, but it was to be hoped that vote was going 

 to be used for jiroper purix)ses, and not lor the 

 liirther building up of class hatred. In the re;dms 

 of politics there was no reason why women should 

 not enter Parliament. Women were legislators in 

 Finland and Colorado, and the manner in which 

 they carried out their duties did not suggest any rea- 

 son for prohibiting women sitting in Australian Par- 

 liaments. In municipal life there should be a move 

 liberal franchise, en.ibling women to exercise a 

 franchise and take a seat on the council Women 

 had the responsibility, of keeping clean and orderly 

 their homes, and should Ix? able to help in the man- 



