The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1914. WOMEN IN PPLITICS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2268, 30 September 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1914. WOMEN IN PPLITICS

Some interesting opinions regarding the progress' of the \yomeri's movement were expressed at the meeting held in Wellington on Monday evenipg to celebrate the twentyfirst anniversary of the 'passing of the Act \vhich conferred ths franchise on faa women of New Zealand. Many tilings,hayie happen.ed"si'nce'the year 1893 both in tip 'sphere of politics an:d in the social and industrial life of the'people. : A good deal has been done for the better'nient of }yomen and children from various points" oi view, an<i no doubt much still remains to be'clpne.'.The'passing of the w.omen's fran.chise law twenty-one years ago was. certainly a great event in the political history of New Zealand, though many people had serious misgivings about it, and predicted fchat the country would Jive to regret the experiment. Others hailed the reform with enthusiasm, believing 'that it would accomplish wonderful things for the benefit of mankind. The'' optimists expected' that the Golden Ago was in sight, and bhat the .world would move on to perfection by leaps' <ind bounds. But neither the glowing hopes of thfc extreme optimists nor the gloomy forebodings of the pessimists ha ye been yenned byi.actual experience. W.oman'svpte has not converted New Zealand into a sort of earthly paradise, nor has it brought the country to the brink of ruin. The intellectual and moral" advancement of the human race has been a very gradual process, sovgraditalindeed that many students of history regard it as an open question whether we are any better than our forefathers of two or three centuries ,agb. There are some who argue with much force that we arc certainly no happier than our ancestors who lived in the "Mcrric England" of the Middle Ages. We have more <\asc, and comfort, and luxury; but jt is doubtful whether the wonderful gifts of science and inventioli have madp the world happier or butter. It is unreasonable therefore, to expect a marvellous leap forward in twenty-one years', even with the assistance of woman's franchise. But even after malting'allowance for the slowness of the progress of social evolution, one can well understand tbi; feeling of disappointment .expressed by Dr. Newjian at the achievement!; of women in public life in New Zealand. Dn. Nem'jian is .one of the pioneers of the woman's movement, and lie naturally expected great things from it, The

right to voto gave the women enormous power, and Dr. Nev/iun thinks they have done little with it. It is certainly difficult to point to any great political reform which can be definitely claimed as a result of the enfranchisement of women. It has, no doubt, exerted a powerful influence in favour of certain forms of social legislation; but it is impossible to pick out any outstanding departure in our political life and assert positively that it-would not have taken place if the frajiphise h,ad not been conferred on the women of New Zealand. This may seem disappointing, but.it is probably on tho whole <a healthy sign. It is better that the legislation placed on the Statute Book should be the result of the cooperation of the men and women of the country, and the general desire of the whole community, than that it should bo the achievement of one sex or any particular section of the people. It would bo a very bad thing for tho country if the sexes should ever be divided into two hostile political camps. It shoujd not, therefore, be a matter for .. regret that it is impossible to make a clear division between the achievements pf the two sexes in the sphere of legislation. It would be foolish to think that the direct and indirect influence of' the woman voter has not been great merely because we are not able to weigh and measure its results with accuracy. It has been a potent factor in our legislation, and on the whole it has made for good. It has undoubtedly led to the-removal of a number of manifest injustices, and to tho improvement'pf the social life of the people in various ways. After twenty-one years' trial few people would contend that woman's franchise has been a failure, though it may not have fulfilled all expectations. It has widened the outlook and extended the interests of our women folk, and has caused their poififc of view to be more fully recognised in public affairs. We have learned by experience' that they can do valuable- work for the community in regard to such matters as education, the administration' of charitable aid, and hospital management, • and their opportunities in these and other directions will probably be further extended in the course of time. But woman's supreme sphere of usefulness to the State will always be within the home. The family has been called "the cell of the social organism." Wholesome family life is of the utmost importance to the nation. One authority reminds us that the family is not an artificial invention, but it has existed as long as man himself, and all social evolution has been a struggle for the preservation of its most valuable features. "When the fire on the hearth is quenched the vigour of a people dies."