Women Challenge Citizens' League

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 645, 23 April 1929, Page 1

Women Challenge Citizens' League

TICKET FOR COUNCIL “EXCLUSIVELY MALE” The decision of the Progressive Citizens’ League to issue tickets for the fortncoming City Council and Hospital Boaros, in which no women candidates were included, has raised a storm of protest from the Auckland Board of the National Council of Women. The branch met last evening,' when the president, Miss Carnachan, stated that on making inquiries she had been told that the original idea had been to have a “clean sweep” and entirely replace the old council. On second thoughts, it had been considered wiser to include some candidates who had been council members and understood something of civic administration. Miss Carnachan then asked on what grounds Miss Ellen Meiville and Miss Hasten had oeen rejected. Both had had experience of council work. The president was told that as the ticket was not yet complete the matter would be placed Deiore the selection committee. “In the face of such an action,” continued ivxiss Carnachan, “we cannot but challenge their right to the title of Progressive Citizens’ League. No body or organisation that ignores the claims of women to have representation on public bodies can be called progressive,” she said. “Then again, the citizens of Auckland comprise both men and women, and half the electors are women.” “DON’T FOLLOW TICKET” The speaker urged women citizens to “exercise their rights to vote, to use their powers of discernment and not be led away by any ticket.” Her advice was, “Vote for those men and women who you know are worthy - of assisting in the civic administration of Auckland, and then, and then only, will the motto of the city, “Advance,” be put into practice.” HALF THE CITIZENS Miss Carnachan’s spirited speech resulted in the following resolution being passed unanimously: ‘That the Auckland branch of the National Council of Women protests against the action of the self-ap-pointed, Progressive Citizens’ Committee in the selection of an exclusively male ‘ticket’ for the City Council, the senior local body of Auckland, thereby ignoring the opinion of women who constitute half the citizens.” Mrs. A. Kidd stated that she had been approached to stand as a candidate for election to the Hospital Board. The question was raised whether the National Council of Women, as a body, could support women candidates. While individually they could support candidates. their constitution makes it impossible for them to do so as a corporate body. By next election it was hoped that - this state of affairs would be remedied and the National Council of Women would then be able officially to support women candidates.