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Hokitika Guardian, 24 June 1929, Page 4

Uvkr five million women between the opes of twenty-one and thirty were iiDle to exercise the franchise at the recent British general election. There were sixty-eight women candidates for seats in the new House of Commons and thirteen women—seven of whom were re-elected —occupy seats in the new Parliament, while for the first timo a woman takes a place in the British Cabinet. The achievement by women on this measure of political pro minence in the Old Country says the Otago “Times”, within a brief period contrasts with their position in other parts of the Empire. It might have been thought that in dominions in which adult suffrage has obtained for many years women would have found the opportunity of giving a strong lead to their sisters in the Old Country in entering parliamentry lite. It is in England, however, that the women have been setting the example in this direction. The lack i of success of women in securing seats ] in the legislatures of other parts of j tne Empire is thereby thrown into not uninteresting relief. In Australia women have been comparatively backward even in seeking places in Parliament. There has never been a woman member of the Commonwealth Parliament, and at the Commonwealth general elections the appearance of a woman, candidate has been rare. There have been isolated instances of the election of women to one or two of the State Parliaments in Australia, but their appearance in the role of member of the Legislature has been very infrequent. In New Zealand no woman has ever been elected to Parliament, and not many have sought that distinction. At the last general elections there were only three women candidates. Whatever may be the prevailing view ol the electors of both sexes respecting the claims of women to represent them in Parliament, it is obvious that they cannot select women representatives unless women come forward as candidates. Probably the general opinion, which may commend itself as a sound one, is that women who seeks support as aspirants to political honours should be able to show particularly good reason for their candidature. It will be judged that the women who have been elected to the House of Commons are women • whose personality would be likely strongly to impress the electors. Women of this type are in a position to enter a political contest on equal terms with any opponent. Otherwise the woman candidate is probably at disadvantage, as vet at all events. The ' attitude of the electorate as a whole. seems to demand a relatively higher | or more distiifeuishting qualifications for candidature in the woman than in the man. There is no reason for regret if this be the ease. A perusal of the names of the women members of the present House Commons, from laidy Astor, the first to take her seat in that assembly ten years ago the the ' latest half-dozen recruits is instruct- j tive as indicating an appreciation in the Old Country of high qualifications ! coupled with distinction of personality ■ in women candidates for Parliament 1

The* women voters themselves would j

presumably rather have quality than number in the political representatives of their own sex. .When it comes about, the entry of women into the Parliaments of the Commonwealth and i\cw Zealand could not proceed better than on the British model, —that is to say through the candidature and election of women of marked personality and ability.