WOMEN AND PRIVILEGES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 534, 11 December 1928, Page 10

WOMEN AND PRIVILEGES

Sir.— Some time ago I wrote to your tolumn upon the merits of women in public life. At that time I endeavoured to show that woman’s place, on her present showing, was not in the political sphere, and that until she had proved her worthiness to wosk the machinery of State affairs, the people were quite justified in rejecting her advances toward Parliamentary representation.

It is with pleasure that I read the arlicie in your issue of yesterday, signed by Mrs. Soljak. in which she advocates

woman’s cause on the sound lines of common sense and. practical achievement. Woman, your contribtuor says, must take hard knocks without. a whimper; she must give and take no quarter from men in a sphere where competition is equal. I agree that by a development/of solid thought a sound knowledge upon questions of public importance, woman will go far toward convincing the community of her fitness for the administrative job. • Here is the point that must not be overlooked, however: Your correspondent says men’s and women’s interests are identical. Of course, the ultimate interest is identical, but why should there not be any “women’s questions?” Surely Mrs. Soljak is sufficiently feminine to acknowledge that there are many walks in life which should be traversed by women, but which are not. Why this is so is. of course, for the women themselves to decide. Fortunately, Mrs. Soljak places the responsibility for solving women’s problem of political representation upon the shoulders of her own sex. In working toward this common end, women must recognise that if they are to walk side by side with men, they must be prepared to fulfil their proper natural function. If all the intellectual women turned their attention toward public life, there would be little chance of the horn© getting its failshare of attention. A MAX IX PLACE. i