WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND THE

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 23, 28 January 1938, Page 8

WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND THE

BIRTH-RATE

Writing on the relationship of women's rights to the declining birthrate, "Let's Try It" states that it has not been generally, recognised that the two questions are related. The future of the white races depends on some satisfactory solution being found for the birth-rate decline. The correspondent makes a suggestion which, it is submitted, may render a greater measure of justice in women's right and possibly have a beneficial effect on the birth-rate.

"We have long had the suffrage extended to both sexes—each man and each woman his or her vote, but there is one direction in which it may after all be worth while to introduce plural voting. What entitles a person to vote? Merely a certain age, residence, and character practically sums it all up. But does this do justice to ail? I feel it does not and the suggestion I venture to make is that every woman with children should be given an extra vote for each child—nay, even a sliding scale as regards the number would not perhaps be going too far. We have women and women. There are those who say in effect bluntly, 'I mean to have a good time; no children for me to drag me down. As to duty to country let those that like worry about that." We have on the other hand women who, feeling tliat when the Creator made them women He meant them to be women, not men or butterflies. They have the mother instinct and play the women's part. But here comes the question—is it fair? The first class have just the same voting power as the real women of my second description. Is there not something wrong here'? Certainly the woman with children has her vote, but here is the point —she has children, who cannot vote,