THE WOMAN ELECTOR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 585, 13 August 1909, Page 4

THE WOMAN ELECTOR.

It is a little difficult to know how to | take the nows, announced by Dr. Findlay on the authority of the RegistrarGeneral, that in twenty or thirty years thero will bo more women than men/in Now Zealand. By that time, should there be no social upheaval, the public will probably find itself confronted with the contention that it is quite illogical to give the franchise to women and yet deny them the right to sit in Parliament. Wo are much afraid that the mixed Parliament of the future may justify " Sin Robert Stout's fear that there will ; be "ail increased readiness on the part of Governments to try to . find remedies, whether wise or not, for social ills." For the women will certainly be likely to act in haste when their hearts as well as their heads are touched—a; policy that Dr. Findlay, in his proßent Socialistic mood, seems rather to like. On th? other hand, there are certain abuses and evils which, being maintained by the sophistries with which clever politicians delude the half-baked males, will not long survive the practicality which distinguishes women in simple cases outsido the region of the heart. For example, we. refuse to believe that any ordinarily intelligent woman,, on. being told , that , the railways are run at a heavy loss, will be deceived for a moment by any plea that they must, be run with an eye only to the development of the country. She would simply retort, "Do not the New South Wales railways, which mako a profit, also .develop the country?" Nor. could,, she .be deceived int-o thinking that the' growth of taxation is a good thing, or that there is any defenco. possible for bloated increases in the cost of government, or that the Prime Minister must personally . visit To Reinga before deciding, whether the post-office should be painted, or that the party in power, should regard office as a blessed pastu.ro /for itself and its friends. Indeed, if. we could, have-their.work confined to the questions named, wo should like to have a'mixed Parliament for a session or two. In the: meantime we believe that a .very largo proportion of women who trouble themselves at allabo'ut politics at any other time' than pollingday get very much nearer to the truth of things political than the avcrago man, for the simple reason : that they ignore party considerations and judge on individual'merits and broad results. !' i"