THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1912. WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10571, 29 February 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1912. WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE.

The Liberal Administration at Home is .having an- anxious time just now. Forced into the position of having to concede' Home [Rule against its own will and that of the country, it is in danger of creating a civil war in Ireland. The industrial upheaval, in which Labour asserts itself, is driving the leaders of the Liberal Party into an exceedingly tight corner. The unpopularity of the Insurance Bill ■and the failing to take immediate steps to reform the House of Lords are both being used as weapons against the Government. And, on the top of it all, there is the grow•inpl agitation throughout the country a'u favour of the granting of the suf-

I frag© to women. The latter movement promises, in time, to embarrass the Government more seriously than Home Rule, for, although the women at present have not a vote, they have an immense Influence upon .the doctors as a whole. The .Liberal Government is divided upon .the question. The Bon. D. Lloyd-George, Chancellor of the Exchequer, is strongly in favour of extending the franchise, ■but several of his colleagues, including the Prime Minister, are averse to the change. Lady Stout, of New Zealand, is taking an active part in the suffragist movement, and is endeavouring to convince the people of the Old Country that the extension of the franchise to women has had a wholesome, effect upon the legislation of this Dominion. Lady Stout is, of course, quite entitled to her opinion. But, if the great majority of the women of New Zealand were consulted, they would not be able to point to any special measures which have been introduced through the direct influence of women. It is true that the licensing legislation has been placed to the credit of female suffrage. It is just doubtful, however, whether this, would not have been on the Statute Book without the assistance of the .women. Indeed, the principle of local option came into operation before the female 'franchise was fairly under way. If women exercised the influence in the elections that some would have us suppose, the 'three- 1 fifths majority on the licensing question would have been wiped out long; ago. More than that, we should not to-day have to deplore the curse of ■gambling and the spread of the social evil. As a matter Of fact, the ex- ; tension oif the franchise to women has had very little influence upon the I politics of this country, other than to j duplicate the votes of the .male sex. Some will argue that the calibre of our Parliamentarians has been lower- I ed since 'female suffrage has been i granted... For ourselves, . wo would J rather attribute the deterioration, if ] any, to manhood suffrage, than to \ the women's .suffrage. In any case, J the women, under our present law, have a distinct disability. They are] held to be entitled to discriminate be- I tween good and bad in law-makers, are regarded as utterly incompetent to frame the laws themselves. There is something anomalous j about this position. If the women] were the important factor in politics that some would have us 'believe, they would long since have secured the j right to occupy seats in both branches ] of the Legislature. Under existing circumstances, they are a negative quantity in the field --of politics, and there is every indication of their re-: niaiuing so.