WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 218, 13 March 1912, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen.")

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE IN NEW I ZEALAND LADY GLASGOW'S ATTACK. ___ \ London, January 24. The fierceness of the suffrage battle in ' this country gives frequent occasion for the introduction of the name of New Zealand, and Lady Glasgow this week writes a striking letter to the Times, in which she declares her unhesitating opinion that female suffrage in New Zealand has had ill effects. Introducing herself as the wife of the Governor who signed the enfranchising measure, Lady Glasgow pys:fL "I saw two elections there under the woman's vote, and I hope I may never see.a third under the same conditions.

I have been in fairly frequent communication and correspondence with some of the ablest and most capable men ,and women in that Dominion—men who worked for many years and voted for. the enfranchisement of women, and who now would gladly give the same wprk if they could repeal that Act, knowing and seeing, as they do, that not only has it not helped to solve the social and other questions, but, oh the contrary, the enfranchisement of women has been in many ways that I cannot go into in this letter, most harmful. Ido not say this on my own authority, but on the {.authority of many able men and women, J who are' bitterly disappointed' at the re--1 suits of this measure."

Lady <3iasg t ow is candidly of opinion' ithat. fen»ale ! enfranchisement in Great' Britain Would fe milch pore disastrous •than in New .Zealand,' ";wh;ere, as a mat-' iter of fact, it does not matter the least to England, or the British Empire, what' legislation a comparatively small coun.tr.y choose to have forced Upon it, and, .in any case, legislation by the women's vote can always he checked by. the men, t wlio much outnumber the women;" ' Lady Glasgow's view is that the very virtues of women—their . impulsivepgss, -their horror of opprGSsion or i;fit them for a ibroad and statesmanlike view of great national' questions; "siiid ' the women who are best qualified to take part in great political and philanthropic movements have already as' much as " they can do. She, therefore, appeals ta 1 all women, however repugnant it may be to the quiet, home-loving class to take ' part in an agitation, that they should 'rise in "their thousands and protest against a measure being forced on them which is not only repugnant to their ideals of true womanhood, but which will I "lie fraught with disaster to our nation" j and Empire." I In reply to this, Sir W. Chance writes from Godalming, asking whether it is . ( goijd policy for anti-suffragists, "in their k anxiety to discredit the cause of woman ) suffrage, to cast odium upon the political methods of the British dominions beyond ,the„seas. Anygtiek good enough to beat a dog- with, but this particular stick is likely to resent very keenly being used for this purpose." He also suggests that, while Britain, under a male electoral, is i rushing along th« path ,o£ • "it i hardly • l)ss with mi tp'jay, thft blaflae rof 'and directipp,, if ; blame there be, ■ upon ,the women.-electors." He! holds -that "we are 1 not justified, in finding fault with the 1 internal politics of any of our colonies. Their peoples have a right to< manage ; their own affairs in their own way, and if they make mistakes in that department is it they who wijl.haye to bear the burden of them."

WEDDED IN HANDCUFFS. DETECTIVES AS BRIDEGROOM'S BEST MEN. Paris, January 24. Desire Ferger, who is under arrest for burglary and attempted murder, was married at noon to-day to Mme. Marie Loiuse Grot, the owner of a travelling cinematograph theatre. Ferger is 37 years old, and his wife, who is 54, has decided to reform him.

Ferger looked very happy when dressed in a new suit of clothes which was his bride's wedding present to him, and he left Versailles prison with his two "best men" on his way to be married. His costume was a little unconventional, for he wore a pair of handcuffs, and his two "best men" and the two next best were detectives in plain clothes. He was taken to the notary's office, where he and his bride signed a marriage contract which gave each of them separate control over their worldly goods. Then the wedding uarty went to the Versailles Town Hall, and the Mayor of Versailles made bride and bridegroom one. The bride was told that she owed obedience to her husband, and that she was to follow him wherever he might go. "I will do my best," was the unusual answer, and the bridegroom burst out laughing. At 12.30 the two were man and wife. At 12.35 they had kissed and parted. Ferger and his escort of four went baek to the Saint Pierre prison. Mme. Ferger went straight to her caravan at St. Denis.