WOMEN M'S.P.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 24 July 1919, Page 3

WOMEN MS.P.

When Sir Wm. Frazer was waited upon in Auckland the other day by a deputation of ladies representing the National Council of Women, and urged to facilitate the admission of women to Parliament, he adopted a strictly non-committal attitute ; said that while he was not opposed to the he declined to pledge himself. The ladies were naturally disappoint ed, but, as Sir William pointed out to them, the last British elections resulted in the return of only one woman out of upwards of 700, while in Australia (he added) there was not, he believed, one woman legislator. Apropos of this it may be mentioned that when our women got the franchise—more than 25 years ago —it was urged that " votes for women " would purify politics, and, as a consequence, social life. Has the reform brought about either of these things ? Have women, as a body I mean, shown that they value the franchise or taken the trouble (as a body) to exercise it ? Do they not, in nine cases out of ten, adopt their husband's politics as their own ? Do they, as a body again, take any keener or more intelligent interest in matters political than they did before they got the vote ? lam afraid that the answer to all these questions must be — No.