A Woman as Mayor

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 August 1911, Page 4

A Woman as Mayor

The o< 1 ■* woman mayor in our .Insbury (!i : not. have a very happy time in "tlii> t-lnir, 1: .'. hot- troubles were nothing cniiipai!' I 1 i i''•~ v - , of the woman who ha.- ; m '/:e.'h<.l to tiho oilipc in Iliinn .'.''l. !\:U!:as. Sho at one' a>sortca her oi' authority as a rcprese.n.tativo of the people, a-ii.il npjy.iirtpd a woman Chief of Police. L-iit the other members of tlhe City Cd mail—all men— refused to have anything to do with lver. They treaterl hei , proposals ajid ordors with ctmt'.'Siipr. -uui (Uk: ': i y«l li2r calls to incetin.irs, and t_rans;vied hnsine'ss wit!io\'.h her. e '" ! ha;l to (.■•iidnre sevc-i , '. , < ritiVism from <si «fftion_oi Iho pnhlic. Sh? then appealed to the governor fm* protection aiil :•« I'iv; I a .nlln.'it. hut mi-s-|:sf;ift')ry rej)ly. 'Hie authoi'i'ty of the State would ho pleased to ■hoip her, hut s.lu> was advised to smile and not take (ho comments of the citizens too senioiisly. "Wilicn one enters pnhiie service, ih'e- or sihe ini'st be propa.red to take criticism. All the little dminjrs of a public oflioer (K-'-upyini); the. posit ion of mayor are the su'lijcct of free comment on the part of free cit.izensihip." The latent new's from Hunnewell however, indirate-s that iih'O mayor's troubles .are far from over. Under oroler of the .enveriKM , th' l momhers att;'ii;!-e:l a moctiuig ealled bv her, but little business was done. Sho had appointed a woman as town clerk, hut the ofHineil refused to confirm the ajv ; ntment. "Well, I'll just keep . i appointing Iher at every meeting," s 1 ! ■•• s'li ,l . Otiliea , appointments \;v,\:\c bv her woro also vetoed and it took her r.n ''n than an hour to induce (he council to adjourn. Noth:i"r c\c:":~; the eonduet of the council, Unit it seems injudicious of the mayor to start out 1)V appointing: women to such positions as Chief of Police.