With this background and in this mood there was recently
held a novel debate by the women members of Parliament. Let me say immediately that the standard of speaking and debating ability was high. Miss Megan Lloyd George made some dangerous and telling points ; Miss Irene Ward spoke without notes and with great effect ; Miss Cazalet kept Sir John Anderson down to concrete points. The Labour speakers, Mrs. Hardie, Dr. Summerskill, and Mrs. Adamson, spoke from a wealth of practical experience ; Lady Davidson and Mrs. Tate drove home some important points, while Miss Rathbone once again demonstrated that her knowledge of social questions is profound. So much for capacity. The gravamen of the general charge was that the Government had failed to act quickly and had not fully consulted women's organisations. Nobody really liked conscription of women; most of the speakers thought that the question need never have arisen if a little forethought had been used. But of course the real difficulty arises when women are asked to leave their homes and their young children to go to factory work. Should children be left with paid " minders " or should there be a far more Widespread use of nursery centres? Mrs. Hardie spoke warmly against the whole idea of " minders." * * * *
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