WOMEN IN POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2655, 10 November 1909, Page 5

WOMEN IN POLITICS.

DO NEW ZEALAND WOMEN VALUE THE FRANCHISE P

Mr Ziman, the New Zealand Rhodes Scholar, was, says the -London correspondent of the “Lyttelton Times,” among the company at the house dinner of the Atlantic Union on Wednesday evening, when some interesting, and in several instances highly-d*vert-ing, impressions of England were given by English-speaking visitors. Mr Zima-n’s contribution to the symposium of impressions was modest. He was particularly struck by the enormous influence exercised by women in English politics. “Probably,” lie added reflectively, “if they had -the power they would use it but little. In the colonies, where they have it, they don’t make use of it.’*-

The “Lyttelton Times” promptly took Mr Ziman to task for his remarks, and observed: —In the Old Country women do very frequently play a conspicuous part in election campaigns, exerting a personal influence on behalf of candidates. In the dominion, however, the interest in politics is not confined to a handful of society ladies. The great majority of women watch the course of politics intelligently, and when election time comes round they display an active interest on behalf of principles and candidates,_ and at the ballot fiox express tlieir opinions in the only logical fashion. The election figures assuredly do not bear out the suggestion that women do not appreciate the privilege of the vote. In 1893, the first general election after they were enfranchised, 85 per .cent, of the women enrolled recorded their votes, and out of 139,400 adult women in the dominion 109,000 were on the register. In 1896 over 89 per cent, of the eligible women were enrolled, anfl 7(U per cent, of the electors recorded votes. In 1*899 the percentages were 95 and 754, in 1902 they were 95 and 744 and in 1905 they were Last year, out of 243,504 adult women, no fewer than were enrolled and 190,114 of them recorded tlieir votes. On the same occasion 294,073 out of 295,446 adult men nysJP'qdr rolled, and 238,534 of them voted. Allowing for the undoubted fact that the rolls included many names that should not have been there the proportion Oi voters was extremely high, and the figures certainly reveal no lack of enthusiasm on the part of either women or men at election time.