THE POLITICAL USELESSNESS OF WOMEN.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1289, 18 November 1911, Page 11

THE POLITICAL USELESSNESS OF WOMEN.

the dominion to-day. (By Jenny When.) Every now and again we read roost surprising and interesting things about the country wo live in, written by people who stay a tow days in one place, pas* on to another,- study in n superficial manner n few details of things in which they might be interested or'that niight mako ffoc-tl "copy," bolievins.aH that is told tlieiii, and then finishing up bv wrilinpf a book or an article about tho country, its conditions, ami its people. Sometimes, as we read them, we are inclined to rub our eyes and gasp; the things are so amazing am! so unrecognisable, and instantly our natural humility begins to disappear under the influence of the pleasant and amazing things that are asserted oi us witb such a convim ing assurance. Such were tho feelings that were roused in one's breast the other day by reading an article in "The World 10-d.iy, by Theresa 11. liussell, written npon tho women's suffrage in New Zealand, and all they had done with it for the benefit of 'the country, and of the soi in particular. The writer was evidently of a receptive turn of mind. Bills They Havo "Supported." She begins by sketching the history of the' Women's Suffrage Bill, and of tho otruggles made by those supporting and working for it—Sir John Hall, Mrs.

Kathenne Sheppard, tho Women's Christian Temperance Society, Dr. James Wains, John Ballance, and others, all of which is very interesting and authentic. After that she goes on to write of what has been done sines the franchise was obtained for women, and we learn with mixed feelings that the women of this country have supported humanitarian enactments for the protection of workers, such as the Stone Quarries Art. Workers' Dwelling Act, the Phosphorous Hatches Act, and the Old Age Pension' '■ Act Amendment, limitation for women and girls of tho hours of labour, fixing i a minimum wage and their holidays. One would like to know the percentage of women who "supported," or even knew of, some of thoso measures. It is true they havo taken an interest in the amending of the divorce law and the Infant Life Protection Act, to prevent baby-farming, and in 18Dj a Nation il Council of Women was formed with the object of initiating ami urging legislative action of special value to women for the procuring of equal pay for equal work, but do we ever hoar anything of this National Council nowadays?, For eighteen long years the women have had the power of voting, and yet. during t.hose eighteen years, questions and affairs with which their interests are vitally bound up, have remained utterly untouched by them. No wonder English women arc inclined to think that it was an utter prostitution of power to bivo given it to them. Laws are mado by men for women and children, dealing with their most intimate rights, and meantime tho women sit supinely still vithout even troubling themselves to know what is being done. Take the matter of education. Of all things in the world, that is a matter with which women are directly connected through theii children, and yet throughout thu country how many women are there to be found on education boards, whore they ought to be, ns well as tho men, and oven on school committees? Everyono knows that the cducatiun of our girls is not that which is best fitting them for their future life, and yet they leave tUcso things to bo settled by men.

Thinos Undone and Wasted Power. Take even a still more important matter and one that no woman should blind nor eyes to. Should there bo so many offences against tho persons of woiueu and little girls in a country where women havo such power? Murder is infinitely lews in moral eifects than such crimes, and yet look at tlic punishment that is meted out to the offenders in surli cases If women would only reuse themselves iu these maters they could cau.-e to lie made law such punishments as would undoubtedly act as powerful deterrents to these unspeakable offenders. One can hardly understand their lethargy, particularly when children are tile victims. . Why is it that in various parts of tho city there are always

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policemen on guard? Such things speak for themselves, and yet women could lielp to lesson them. Another matter in which they could oxercise a strong influence is in connection with tho compulsory military training. What woman could possibly respect a man who refused (not from conscience reasons) to bear arms for his country, or, rather, refused to prepare himself for its defenco in time of danger? Veiy few, one would imagine, and if they would only show their disapproval by ostracising tho men they knew who took that attitude there would bo far less beard of tho antimilitarists than is now tho case. Few men can stand such ostracism. And so the tale could run on into endless chapters. There is one woman in Wellington upon tho Uosnital and Charitable Aid Board, essentially, one would think, a matter of interest to women, for there are many affairs to bo settled concerning the welfare of their sex. There are nlso, it is true, several societies for relieving the necessities of the poor of the city, and yet after all it is only tinkering with the surface of things. Like many other matters in which women have up to the present interested themselves, it is only playing with effects, and not dealing with the anises, and thero is plenty of scope for them to do tho latter. Her Reason for Her Choice. For eighteen long years women's suffrage has been in existence here, and yet never has the need for reform been so urgent as to-day—so urgent that no

; sophistry can gloss ovor matters.. And yet only tho other day a woman asked nor friend whom she was going to vote for. The friend told her. "Oh, well, so will 1 then if you do!" And so the matter was settled. Another woman, discussing tho merits of two rival candidates, advocated the claims of one who belonged to the opposite party of which she called herself a member, her reasons being that lie was so charitable, and was so good to his employees. Suitable reasons for sending a man to Parliament, truly! It is quite possible, certainly, that women hayo not tho monopoly of such'reasons, but in any case it is dreadfully futile. A reason advanced for hoping that one of the Ministers would be returned was that "110 was the most respectablo of the Cabinet." Alas! for the women's vote that was to do so much to purify and elevato politics. There aro women to be found who resent most bitterly the fact that they have to vote, but after all they need only think of the parablo of the servant to whom was given five talents. It is for her to let it out at interest, to make the very most of it, not, like tho servant, to bury it in a napkin. After all, it is a chance to peep above the rut with which a woman is so often encompassed, to get more into touch with the big things of the world that count, and through the extension of knowledge that is gained, to understand, and help to make tho world an easier place for her children when they leave childish days behind, to say nothing of hor sister women. Tho record in political affairs orin those that affect the country's welfare in any way is a singularly negative one on the part of women.

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