WOMEN IN POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2354, 21 November 1908, Page 5

WOMEN IN POLITICS.

A PIIBSENT-DAY VIEW

(By “Tamihana.”)

A number of years -have now passed since the franchise was granted to our women, and New Zealand commenced the experiment of allowing the gentler sex a voice in the affairs of the cotmtry. It must be confessed that the move was at first looked upon as a very doubtful experiment, and grave fears were expressed by its opponents as to.its ultimate effect. But as, tric-nnially, the general elections have come and gone, it has been shown that, far from being a failure, the granting of the franchise has tended towards a state of things materially beneficial to the welfare of the community. Long before they acquired the right of a voice in the country’s representation, many of our women had taken an active and intelligent interest in public affairs, and the indirect in--11 lienee which they exerted has more than once been productive of reform in the laws pf the Dominion. But with the advent of the franchise, woman’s interest in politics commenced to grow apace and so, as each election approached, -she brought to bear on the leading political questions of the day a careful discrimination and a well-balanced judgment that speedilv proved her worthy of the privilege granted her. It was said at the first that, in the matter of voting, a wife would invariably follow a husband, and a daughter herH'atber, but subsequent events have shown this to lie faV from correct. There are few male electors, but who know that their female relatives differ very often from them on questions of politics and, knowing it to be woman’s prerogative, there are few to-day who would desire that their wives and their daughters* their mothers and their sisters, should be deprived of the liberty of saying, according to their own" views, "who is a fit and proper person to represent their interests in Parliament.

Notwithstanding, however, that the right to vote has long since passed the stage of being a novelty, the actual event of visiting the polling booth is an impressive and momentous occasion. The average man, when ho sets off to vote, feels, no stir of excitement!, and strolls along casually as though it were an everyday occurrence. But to the woman there is a feeling in her mind, undoubtedly the result of heredity, that she is doing a tiling that- is somewhat curious, .and to some extent unconventional, Hindoos the fact that almost every woman she knows is setting forth on precisely the s line errand in any way diminish this overshadowing idea. It often takes her a long time to record her vote. It cannot be said tint her mind is not made up, nor does the fact that- she is perhaps voting in variance to her male relatives weigh'‘with her: but it is an important occasion and it behoves her to make no mistake. And when, finally, she has posted her paper in the ballot box. she comes aw iv with an uneasy feeling that there is something wrong somewhere, and it has more than once been recorded that a well.*;;'! 1 elector’ has returned to the booth and asked to see her paper in order to satisfy herself that she had not committed an error. ‘Whether she would have wanted to vote again, had she been shown the paper and found a mistake, is .not tokl.

It cannot, however, be denied that women are exerting -a greater influence every year in the political world, and particularly is this so in regard to the licensing question. True, this does not quite come within the scope of general politics, hut so much does this weigh nowadays with tlie electors, and so keen is the feeling on ihe matter, that it has become necessary for every political can dill its to make an immediate declaration of liis views on the matter. -For this condition of affairs, tlie woman elector is largely responsible though, be it said, it cannot be held to be a state entirely undesirable. The licensing question may loom largely in an’ election campaign, may almost overshadow politics'in * general;" hut this, in turn, lias led to a stimulated feeling in regard to the latter that will inevitably lie for the good of the country. ’- C m it he said .that the tremendous interest aroused in Gisborne during the election just concluded would have been as great without ihe issue of license or no-license P Never before had a Gisborne election been so keenly contested. At each meeting of the three candidates tho audience contained a good proportion of women and the intelligent interest they, displayed in the* leading questions'of the day bore eloquent testimony to their rights, 'as members of tho community, to rote for the candidate who, in their opinion, was best able to conserve their interests and the interests of the country as a whole.

But: a greater scope awaits the woman of the future, for the day will probably come —though not for many years—when New Zealand, following the example of Finland and Sweden, will admit women as Parliamentary representatives. And New Zealand will find women capable of undertaking the onerous duties attaching to the position. There are at the present day women worthy in every respect to take a place in the House of Representatives, women with a keen grasp of polities and who are also capable —and hare, proved their capability —of expounding thenviews from the public platform. During a strenuous campaign at the 1005 elections, the voice of one of the candidates for a Canterbury constituency give way, and his wife, a woman of keen intellect and commendable pluck, to avoid failure of engagements. took his place and from the platform made a clever and spirited address on her hush .mil's behalf. Just before the recent elections, at one of her husband's meetings in Wellington, Mrs T. Y. Hislop. in response to demands from the audience, briefly addressed the electors present, ‘and on Saturday last, owing to the illness of her husband, ..Mrs R. Heaton Rhodes fulfilled his engagement at Grccnpark (Canterbury). The papers describe the latter as tho largest, and most enthusiastic meeting ever held at Greenpark. Airs. Rhodes dealt with all the leading political snbjects'of the day •and her address was admirably wear and condensed ,ahd was listened to with tho utmost attention. At the conclusion, in moving a hearty vote of thanks to Airs Rhodes, a gentleman said it was a unique experience to hoar a lady give such an ■“excellent political speech, and he thought that hv taking an interest m politics ladies would be ablo to bring about

great improvement. Can it be said, after this, that women have aio minds of their own arid are merely superficial in matters political ?• The election of 1908 is -an effective answer to that and there can bo no doubt that this answer will be more emphatic and pronounced wiien 'another three years have rolled by and the electors arc face to face with another general election.