W.C.T.U. MEMBERS CELEBRATE GRANTING OF WOMEN'S FRANCHISE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 3, 27 September 1937, Page 5

W.C.T.U. MEMBERS CELEBRATE GRANTING OF WOMEN'S FRANCHISE

The monthly meeting of the Hastings branch of the Women 's Christian Temperance TJnion was held on Thursday last in the young women 's room at the Wesley Hall, when Mrs J. Wilson presided over a good attendance. After the devotional exercises hadi been conducted by Mrs R. D. Sutherland, and afternoon tea seaved, the speaker, Mrs H. Lovell-Stmith was introdueed and given a dainty shoulder spray. In the month of September all branches of the W.C.T.U. in New Zealand eelebrate the granting of the franchise to women on September 19, 1893, and in introducing the speaker, the chairman spoke of what the pioneei women had suffered in establishing "this home beyond the seas." Mrs Lovell-Smith in her opening remarks reminded the women of the advantages they enjoyed in comparison with those who had come to these shores in the very early days. When speaking of the freedom which women in the present century enjoyed she said it should engender in all a passionate desire for social justice. Women had found that this eould not be attained by the own individual efl'orts. Elizabeth Fry in her great work foi the prisoners of England had only ac* complished what she did by enlisting, the help of sympathetic men. Florence Nightingaie, too, realised that to lii't the load of suffering from the wotinded and dying she must have power and she sought and obtained it. While she was working in this way for her fellows, her cousin, Miss Lee-Sxnith was quietly striving to remove the legal disabilities nnder which women were then living. It should be the desire, said the 'speaker, of all women to take some active part in removing the difficulties and disabilities that their fellowmen labour under. "The time has come when women in this country must take their share in the government of their country," said Mrs Lovell-Smith. "Th« need for women to stay at home and make their own jam and weave their own linen no longer exists," declared the speaker, "but women are needed on the hospital boards in this country. They are needed to investigate the conditions under which the children and young people from their homes study in the schools and work in th« shopa, oflices and factories of this, land. Women are needed to study national relationships: to build empires. Winifred Holtby said that what we want uow is a transition to a wider sphere of international co-operation. Empires don't matter, and patriotism becomes paroehial, and the service of mankind is the only coasideration. What could not the women of New Zealand do in this century to this end?" Mrs Lovell-Smith outlined the ob taining of the franchise by the women of New Zealand. The W.C.T.U. at its inccption had a department entitled the Franchise Department, and their lirst supermtendent was Mrs Kate Sheppard, who had guided the women in their efl'orts to obtain their objeetive. They presented four petitions to Parliament before the franchise was granted. The first was signed by the president, secretary and treasurer in 1888, The second had 10,085 signatures and was presented in 1891; the third had 20,274 signatures and was presented the following year; while in 1893 the names numbered 31,872. These petitions represented much walking by many women under very difiicult circumstances, and gave evidence of the sincenty of their purpose. She said that at behoves the women of to-day to honour their achievement by still greater service and sacrifice for the good of mankind. In her concluding remarks Mrs Lovell-Smith said that • she had known personally Mrs Sheppard and; many others who fiad been associated with her in those early days. Those present were deeply interested in a deseriptive portrait which Mrs Lovil- Smith gave of Mrs Sheppard along with personal details of her life and character. In her will Mrs Sheppard had left to the headquarters of the W.C.T.U. the pen with which the Franchise Bill had been signed, the pen having been given to her by the Governor-General of New Zealand. Mrs Lovell-Smith was heartily thanked for her most interesting address. During the afternoon a collection waa taken up for the New Zealand Fund of the W.C.T.U. It was announced that to raise funds towards the annual convention a party would be held on Thursday next when Mesdames Rae, Rawlings and McArthur would be hostesses. The meeting closed with the initiation service.