VOTES FOR WOMEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 21, 16 April 1927, Page 12

VOTES FOR WOMEN

AGE QUESTION DISCUSSED OPINIONS VARY By Cable. — Press Association.—Copyright LONDON, Thursday. Votes for women has again become an absorbing topic since Mr. Baldwin’s announcement in the House of Commons. Strange to say, criticism of the idea of votes for women at the age of 21 comes solely from members of the Conservative Party and the Conservative Press. The “Daily Chronicle” says both the Opposition parties favour this reform. It is estimated that of about 5,000,000 new women voters under the scheme 3,000,000 would be between 21 and 30 years old and the remaining 2,000,000 women over 30, who are at present disqualified. Apparently there is no difference of opinion as to the proposal to lower the voting age from 30 to 25. The difference arises as regards women between 21 and 25. The opponents of this step are equally prepared to deprive men of those ages of the vote. It was easy to see how painfully conscious Mr. Baldwin was of the lack of approval on his own side of the House, when he made his announcement, says the political correspondent of the “Morning Post.” Afterwards in the lobby it was hard to discover more than a handful of Conservatives in favour of the Government’s decision, which beyond doubt has been taken in the face of every expression of party opinion. It is estimated that if the plan is carried out the women voters will outnumber the men in 70 per cent, of the constituencies. The “Daily Telegraph” says that when the Bill is discussed an effort will no doubt be made to fix the age of men and women voters alike at 25, but although arguments in favour of this are many arid strong, it is quite a forlorn hope that they will prevail. Twenty-one has been the age of manhood for so long that it is a delusion to suppose it can be altered now, says the writer. If political equality is assumed 21 must also be the age of womanhood. Conservative members of the House of Commons, with one eye on their constituencies, are reluctant to express their opinions openly. Lady Astor, M.P. for Sutton, Plymouth, says she is not the least frightened of women’s votes. She has now been in the House for eight years and has found that since women had the vote moral and social questions are treated from a different point of view, not as freak legislation.—A. and N.Z.