WOMEN IN POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 585, 13 August 1909, Page 6

WOMEN IN POLITICS.

> A CROWING INFLUENCE. HON. DR. FINDLAY ON THE -.NATIVE- ' ' BORN. The Attorney-General (Hon. Dr. Findlay) • | was' the speaker at- the' third luncheon of tho New Zealand Club, which. waß hold yesthe Y.M.C.A.,- Mr, M. Myers presiding. : • Dr. Findlay, whose subject had been announced as "The Characteristics of the-'Na-tive-Born," said that most of' those present were native-born; like himself. Seventy per ceilt. of tho population of New Zealand were born in this country, and a few years lienco the population would bo almost entirely native-born. A knowledge of the leading characteristics of the native-born would, therefore, be .the best guide to'a'knowledgo of the future of ' this democracy. The physical standard. of the; New Zealanders- was high. They- were .a vigorous peoplo, who Sought happiness ohiefly in external 1 action, not, .: like somo Eastern nations, . in introspection. This characteristic made for hopefulness, and thus New Zealanders wore disposed' to believe that they would one ' day get-rid of the social evils which beset this country in', some measure,', but were' more felt in older'lands. New Zealanders also stood high in. jducation. The speaker treated next of the New Zealander's spirit of. equality, .as shown in the opposition to pretpnsions of rank and birth, in the ished respect for parental control, and for the discipline of religion, in the ready susceptibility 'toappeals made' ou behalf of the tpoor and distressed, and in our civil liberty and religious toleranco.■

Equality of tho Sexes. ' . We also had equality of the sexes. This could bo seen in social life, in law, m the industrial field: (wherein woman was acquitting. hers6lf well), .and in' politics. The last of these phases-of sex-equality was the most important; , He believed the future of. this country depended upon , the, votes of the women as much as, if not .more than, on-the votes of. the men. The general interest .of women and men in politics was very high in this'country. At the last Australian Federal' election, only 50' per cent, of those, on the roll took the trouble to vote, and at tho previous . election' the ; proportion was still smaller. In Victoria 33 per cent, voted for the Senate, and 61 per cent, for tie House of Representatives, and the'figures were similar m the other States. In New Zealand the proportion .was 20 per cent, higher, and that applied to women-as well .as men; 1 It had been said m the past, and was still believed by-many, ; that the women's chief interest in; politics was tho local option poll, but that was no longer true. ;- Possibly that' poll bad educated . ,th em : ,to take' a broader< interest. in' politics.; This was 'a .matter of great importance/ for. • the. proportion of 'women in the 'population ;was. increasing. In .1864, .the; proportion/of woinen;to..meil in 'New Zealand • was 61.58;-'-in 1906,.. it was - SS:6o; and. the Registrar-General'had informed him that; in twenty 'or thirty .'years 'there, would- be more' women :thaii men; in'this country.' ;

Where Womon Prepondcrato. -Already in seventeen electorates—Auckland West, Auckland East, Grov Lynn, Eden, Pamell. ligmont, Wellington "South, Avon, Christchurch ; ..North,Christchurch -East, Christchurch South, tho four Duncdin electorates, Clutha, and' Invercargill—there .were more women than men on the roll. 1 In connection with tile.excess of women'voters in the UTban . electorates, his hearers' were, of. oourse, aware ttat';tl]e political currents of :the:cities'differed in some respects 1 from those ■of the country. V- The .voting at the seoond ballots showed that it' was a mistake fio suppose that th? chief' political interest of women was in the question. Second . ballots : wero held, last : election, in 21. districts, and 77.9 per cent, of the yoters polled, :the" proportion of women to men voting being the same as at the previous'polls, although there was no local option issue; on the "day of tho second ballots.

■. ' " A Reduced Domesticity. , ■:,i The figures< r showed-that women were no longer devoted to one question, but wero ;takmg a broader; interest m political : and na-tional-affairs.-What was to be inferred from . this,:, 'fact. with ;. regard ,to --the- -future If women were taking , so great an interest in politics and were likely to "hold V majority , of the votes, what deductions' could be drawn ? He .did .not Want -to dogmatise, but merely, to mention' some facts for consideration. .. He thought, there was -.' noticeable among our women a reduced domesticity/, Ho did not ', point this out rto condemn it, but .merely as.a fact. In the days of .our mothers jit! was thought- scarcely respectable for' a 1 .woman to. be:.too jnuch,out'or her own house, ■but : t women, .now ■ ..weretaking an increasing '.part;. in.;wider.. activities;:. ami "though • this , might' haye/its drawbacks, he thought it was ennobling and elevating them. There, was an enormous amount; of.good ;that a' woman. :could; do' outside her own Tiome. Women had more active 'sen tinients than men, and were .more disposed .to'-' respohd, in , action ...to a, spcial stimulus.. While , men were thinking, women' liked to find a solution in conduct. He remembered that' when the' women's ,franchise ,was before the House, .'the present Chief. Justice; who .was one.-of, its - bravest champions, admitted' that, ho feared that women's urgent desire to find a practical remedy for evils might bring with it special dangers, ;and''..if: :their -influence . were -more felt; in 'politics there''would he, an increased readiness on-the part of Governments to try to 1 find remedies, 'whether' wise >or not, 'for social ills.' ' Valuo of. Sentiment In Politics.. :If -it should bo - said. that women contri.buted nothing .but. sentiment-to., politics, it could rightly be said that'the mass'of the ■ people.'contrihuted little else, and, that, when' their . sentiment vwas Tight,- it; was of,-more valuo than' the thinking of the statesmen. When th^.conditions of factory life in Britain were a disgrace to civilisation; men so large- ■ hearted ,'as Bright and Cobden set themselves lyjainst-. reform, and opposed,,the sentiment, of the masses:because they argued about it instead :of listening to their own hearts. In the long run it had been found that.the sentiment: of the; masses was right.. If -the control of women, grew in' our political life, it would grow for the better. It might be that-the sphere of individuality would have to be circumscribed and the freedom of. the individual .made more subject to the State md to, society, "but-he could hot 'help thinking that if the virtues- that were characteristic of women were associated with that control, the result must; be good. When tlmt rrreat reform foi; which the'women of New Zealand were struggling . had been achieved, . their zeal would find, new channels, and he.'be-, lieved—or, at least he 'hoped—that the women's influence in: politics would be one of the.prqfqundest influences for,good which this or. any other country had seen. (Applause.) Tho proceedings concluded with a Tote of thanks .to"the speaker. ' .'■'