WOOING WOMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 223, 20 September 1928, Page 7

WOOING WOMEN.

POLITICAL FLIRTING.

Efforts To Win Britain's Millions

Of New Voters.

CAMPAIGN PLANS

(United Service.) LONDOX, September IP.

The "Daily Mail" says the wooing of the 5,250,000 women voters who, for the first time, will exercise the franchise in 1929, is already leading to intense rivalry. The organisers of all the parties are preparing for vigorous activity.

The chairman of each party, Mr. J. C. C. Davidson (Conservative), Mr. Arthur Henderson (Labour), and Sir Herbert Samuel (Liberal), is beina assisted by women well versed in political wooing. The administra-

tor of the women's branch of the Conservative party, also its deputy principal agent, is Miss Marj or i e Maxse, a quiet manner ed, pleasantfaccd, young and graceful speaker. She has organised a complete canvass of the constituencies by the local

organisations. This will be carried out all through the summer with a view to securing advance promises of support.

Miss Maxse is now planning an intensive political education campaign. The Conservatives are well satisfied with the results of her work so far.

The Liberals are organising a house-to-house canvass. Their special aim is to mobilise women voters by the beginning of November. The canvass will last three months.

Large amounts from Mr. Lloyd George's fund are being spent by the Liberals in East Anglia, where the party is making great efforts to capture seats.

The Labour party is anxious, owing to the shortage of funds. This is the result of the Act which freed trades unionists from the obligation to contribute to political funds. It is admitted that it halved the revenue from the unions.

Nevertheless, the Labour party claims that its organisation is in good trim and is progressing greatly in the industrial centres. Active shop stewards there say they have secured promises from factory girls to support Labour candidates.

A British official wireless message says: For the purpose of the compilation of the new voters' register, which will include women, aged 21, to whom the franchise *.7as recently extended, every householder will be required to fill in a form before the end of the year giving particulars of his household. Failure to make this return will entail a penalty of £20.

An interesting feature will be that women will not be required to divulge their age. It will simply be a question of whether a woman is 21 or inure.

Promoted Deputy Principal Agent to the Conservative party, in addition to a position she held as administrator of the Women's Unionist Organisation since 1923, Miss Marjorie Maxse recently took over her more extended duties at the Conservative and Unionist headquarters. Born in Algiers, where her father was ViceConsul, she accompanied him to the various posts to which he was appointed. The first was at the Piraeus, so she went to Athens. Her father becoming Consul at Bilboa, she acquired Spanish, then French at Le Reunion, off Madagascar, and Dutch when Mr. Maxse was moved to the Hague, and became Consul-General for Holland. Being under age for overseas service at the outbreak of the war, Miss Maxse had to wait for a year before she was allowed to join the Franco-British Red Cross, and speaking French as well as she does English, she nursed in a French hospital near Parame until her draft was sent back to London, when she was asked to go to the foreign trade department of the Foreign Office, where she remained until its work was done. Subsequently she was appointed to the Trade Board section of the Ministry of Labour, where dhe acquired some knowledge of industrial legislation. In December, 1921, she entered the political world, and was appointed by the Central Office, district agent for the southern area of England. She is a cousin of Mr. Leo Maxse, editor of the "National Review, and a niece of Viscountess Milner. She is a remarkable organiser, an excellent speaker, witli a good voice. She is tall, good-looking, with dark eyes and hair, and her face is full of character