POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1919, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

IX PRAISE OF WOMEN. MR. MASSEY WAXES ELOQUENT. By Wire—Own Correspondent. Wellington, Last Night. In the House to-day, the Prime .Minister moved the second reading of the Women's Parliamentary Kights Extension Bill, granting to women the right to sit in me two branches of the Legislature. He said that the Bill had been introduced in accordance with a promise he made to the House during the last session. It was the corollary to the granting of tiie Irancliise to women. When the franchise was granted originally in New Zealand there was no demand that women should have the right, to sit in Parliament. He himself had always taken up the position that as soon as women asked to be admitted to Parliament they should he given the right to do so. The present British law allowed women over thirty years of age to vote, and to become candidates. There had been a movement in favor of lowering the age in Britain to 21 years, and a division had shown that a majority of the 3nembcrs of the House of Commons favored this change. This declaration had almost produced a party crisis in Britain, hut the newspapers had not given much information on the subject, and he was not sure if the concession had actually been made. The proposal might have been rejected in the House of Loiids. "] am sure that women mentally are the equals of men, and very often are the superiors, as many men have good reason to know,"' said Mr. Massey. "1 can think of a number of women who would make very good members 0 f Parliament and. Cabinet Ministers.'' Members: And Prime. Ministers?"

Mr. Masscy: Certainly. If si woman lias (lip confidence of 'Parliament, ami of the electorate. why -sliniil,! she nor be Prim.-- Minister? j believe that, the appearfinee in* Parliament of „ number of competent women would have a verv jrood iiiHueiif-p. j Sir Jowph Warn said he aswed that when the franchise was granted to women !n Xew Zealand there was no <)«• mand that women should he allowed to sit. in Parliament, but the conditions had eh a need very imu-h since then, particularly during tl'" war, when women had proved Their ii-jM to an increased share in national responsibility.