ERA OF WOMAN.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1921, Page 3

ERA OF WOMAN.

RIGHTS WON BY SERVICE. NEED OF ADVANCED EDUCATION. Speaking at Stratford on Saturday Bishop Averill said that this was the beginning of the era of woman. The rights of women were just becoming recognised, not because they nad just become entitled to them —they had been entitled to them for a long time —but because of the service women had rendered. Women had tried to secure their rights by other ways —by breaking windows and burning letters in post boxes i —but it did not work. Woman had won her new and rightful position as an acknowledgement of her service. When the war came it was not only the men who had given service. Women also gave service, and simply because of the splendid service the women offered during the war it was acknowledged that they must have their rigntsHe referred to the splendid work of the French women who were tending the graves of British and New Zealand soldiers. Whilst in London he had seen the monuments erected in memory of Nurse Cavell and Florence Nightingale, and they seemed to be some part of the coming of the great era of woman. Even the old Church of England, conservative as it had been in the past, had become revolutionary regarding woman. Not only had the church followed what was done in New Zealand by giving women ecclesiastical franchise. but had also given ecclesiastical franchise to every girl of 18, and h&d allowed women to take part in the highest council of the church. He had had the privilege of a talk with Lady Astor, M.P., whilst in England, and he could not help but feel that if the women knew as much asi she did, it would be all the better for Parliament tu get | a few more women and a few less men. He thought it might be the same in the Parliament of New Zealand.