THE REASON WHY

Hokitika Guardian, 13 October 1932, Page 8

THE REASON WHY

NO WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT. ■Some explanation of the reason i way tire women, of New Zealand have never elected on&. of their 1 own sex. ;tu Guru ament,. in spite off ..having had tlie franchise for - forty years' may be gamed by the questionnaire which the ef/prietphurch Business and Professional Women’s Round Tabic Club- proposes •to circulate among its . the * merabers of organisations in jo.her centres, men and women in public positions and,, members of Parliament. . The announcement of the .proposal waj made by the president of the '.club, Miss B; { |C. .fj.haclvletoh, at the ’h-ncheon a. yesterday. She said that the decision: had been made mainly as. 1 the; result of q statement by Sir Thomas Wilford at Geneva ,to tlie effect that “women, had voted for forty years irt-Newt Zealand, and none had ■ teen elected tq Parliament because women would not Vote for women.” “Some of the more members of the clubd consider that this statel- efit is ia- .direct ' challenge,” said’ Miss Shackle ton!, and one which requires Pome analysis. Among the V.nWs (ideals: .is that. of intelligent citizenship, and so we propose: to set vp a select Committee to deal with the question.-.”-• Miss Shackleton said that the (questilpnnnire would, it was suggested, ideal! with the following points: are the things which influence v cmenP ;votes, a nd how far are they swayed (by ; party alliances? Is the ■ scope ofiftheir common interests too narrow ?: ])o women feel that women candidates! for Parliament, do not know enough i about the problems of t-ade and finance? Are women wait; ing for a super-woman, and if so, are t’ley justified!? If Sir Thomas Wilford is correct, : what can be done to ref r edy the;; matter, and if he-is: wrong, h ; nv- con the’impression be corrected ? The: selecyncommittee will be .chosen and th« question further . considered at a meeting , of the club on October 28. : \