WOMEN'S VOTE IN NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2267, 29 September 1914, Page 2

WOMEN'S VOTE IN NEW ZEALAND

TWENTY-FIRST ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED. ' . The Women's Christian Temperance Union celebrated the twenty-first anniversary of the carrying of the Women's Franchise-in Now Zealand by a public, meeting which was held in the Y.M.C.A. Hall last evening. The chair was occupied by Mrs. W. A. Evans, M.A. Lady Stout; who -vyas formally presented to tho gathering by the chairivoihan, gave a very interesting address ileaiing with the work that had .been flone l\y women since they had obtained their franchise, and of what they had gained in the way of better protective laws for women and children. In the twenty-one years that had passed much, admirable work had been performed, especially by the W.C.T.U., tho Society for the Protection of Women and Children, and the Ladies' Christian Association, and they intended to still further extend their efforts and get raoro protection for girls, to get amendments to the Criminal Code Amendment BiJl, to secure equitable responsibilities in the matter of parenthood, to secure provisions preventing men from mortgaging their property away from their wives and families, and to agitate for laws to be passed that would eornpel men who would not maintain

their wives and children to be placed on farms, part of their wages to go towards the maintenance of those who should have been their care. One of the matters to which women throughout New Zealand were now paying particular attention was the Criminal Code Amendment Bill, which was co.haveueen brought down this session, but which they wero now told was to be held over. They strongly objected to the clause which provided that in cases of assault upon girls between the ages pf twelve and .eighteen no prosecution could take place without the written consent of the Attorney-General, and they intended to make strong represen. tations to the Government upon the matter. ' In fact, resolutions were being sent in. from very many districts and towns.

Another matter in which women wero deply interested was the matter of naturalisation. As things now stood, women who married foreigners entirely lost their nationality, and were subject, to tlio laws and customs of the country they lived in. Even supposing an Englishwoman with her English husband wont to live in Turkey ami became naturalised, the husband could by law start a harem and his wife by law would 1/e compelled to hvo.m it wtih other women. What was greatly wanted among women in New Zealand was more active interest in public matters and infinitely nioro co-operation. It was' only by the latter that they could, hope to becomo an effective force. Some day «he hoped to. see women in Parliament, where she ivas sure thoy would do-good work in conjunction with men. In Finland there ivere women in Parliament, and tho only people who said they should not bo there were the men who did not want to seo the hotels closed. Dr. Newman, member for Wellington East, was the next speaker, and very emphatically lie pointed out the power that lay in the hands of women with tho franchise. Years ago he had' stood with Sir John Hall and Sir llobert Stout in the matter of extending the franchise to women, and now he was the last of the Mohioans in this question, for Sir John Hall had/passed away and Sir Robert Stout had been translated to a j

brighter sphare on the judicial bench. The only good reason he had heard advanced against tho franchise for women was. the inan who had said that if women chose suoh funny men as husbands, what would thoy cheose for Par-. Jiamentary candidates. As a'-matter of fact, he was disappointed in the achievements of women in public life here. They had enormous power in their hands, and to his mind thoy had dono so little with it. They had not achieved enough, and they didnot know their own strength.' If they would only combine and work together in large, numbers, there would not bo one candidate for Parliament who would not go down upon their knees to them and give them assistance in gaining good reforms. It was, to his mind, the bouuden duty of every woman in this country to use the vote to organise and to work for the good of those around her. The cause that had the greater number of supporters behind it was the cause that ultimately won, and women should work to get other women in to work with' them. When a great reform was to be worked for, then wae the time for women to sink all differences and work with might and main for that cause. Women need not put all the hlame of unhappy conditions, of poor wages, of the miseries brought upon wives by bad husbands, upon the shoulders of men, because women themselves had the remedy in their own hands,. There was not a thing they could not obtain and altar, if they would only work together and wako up to the conditions around them. If all'the women in the world had lvid the vote, he too, like Lady Stout, held that there would have been no war.

In conclusion, he hoped women would get into Parliament, and 1 he thought the Legislative Chamber would bo a very admirable placo for them. Unfortunately. there was a clause in the Parliament Act which only allowed male folk to enter Parliament. Perhaps it would be altered to "any human being." At the close of the meeting n resolution was brought forward by Mrs. Perymaii to the effect that "this meeting "emphatically protests against tho proposal that permission in writing from the Attorney-General was necessary before proceedings could be token in cases of criminal assault on girls who have not attained the age of consent, and that the Criminal Code Amendment Bill be proceeded with this ses'sion." , 1, ~ Tile resolution was seconded by Mrs. Houlder, nnd carried unanimously. • Votes of .thanks to Lady Stout and Dr. Newman for their addresses, to Miss Brittain and Mr. Newton for thensongs, and Mr*. Evans for presidinc; wero proposed by Mis. Bloxall, seconded by Mrs. Macdonald, and carried by the meeting with applaußO. ;