FEMALE FRANCHISE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2259, 19 September 1914, Page 3

FEMALE FRANCHISE

TWENTY-FIRST ANNIVERSARY. To-day is tho twenty-first anniversary of tho dato on which the Act confer' ring the franchise on women in Now Zealand became law. Tho principle of female franchise hod been affirmed by tho Houso of Representatives on two' occasions :prior to 1893. .In 1878 a in favour of ■ votes for women. was oarried 'in Committee on the Enteral Bill introduced in that year, but it was subsequently struck out. In 1892 a, Bill enfranchising women passed both Houses, but it did not become law. There was a difference between the Houses, the Council demanding that electoral rights similar to those granted to seamen and commercial travellers should be given to, women outside of the oities and boroughs. During the session of 1893 petitions signed bv 31,572 women were presented to the' House asking for the franchise. A Bill conferring this privilege on women was passed by both Houses in that year, and it received tho Governor's assent on September 19. On the same day- a , discussion took plnco in the Houso as to tho means that should be adopted to enablo women to exercise their now privilege. Various suggestions were made as to the best methods of enrolment, one of them, made by tho Premier (Mr. Seddon) being that tho police should be' employed in certain districts to put women on the.rolls. This did not find favour with several members, one of wliom remarked: "I shall object entirely to a policeman going to my house to havo my wife put on the roll." Another member (Dr. Newman) suggested a postponement of the general elections, which were then pending, in order that the women might Dβ enrolled in time-. The 'elections, towever, took place at the ordinary time, the women who voted having been enrolled without tho difficulty that was anticipated in certain quarters.