FIRST WOMAN M.P.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 286, 14 September 1933, Page 3

FIRST WOMAN M.P.

MRS McCOMBS ELECTED WIN IN LYTTELTON BY-ELECTION RECORD MAJORITY FOR SEAT, COALITION 2600 VOTES BEHIND. SUCCESS IN THIRD CONTEST. (Special to the "Guardian.") CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Mrs Elizabeth Eeid McCombs gained a great personal triumph in winning the Lyttelton seat by a majority of 2600 in the by-election necessitated by tbe death of her husband, Mr J. McCombs, who had held the seat for 20 years. Mrs McCombs has the honour of being the first woman to be elected to the New Zealand Parliament and her majority is a record for the constituency. She has been successful in her third attempt to enter Parliament, having previously contested the Kaiapoi and Christchurch North seats. The poll yesterday represented a huge turn-over of .votes from the Coalition to the Labour Party, since the general election in 1931. Steady ram Which fell throughout the day prevented a number of electors from exercising their votes, and the Returning Officer (Mr J. J. McGahey) was of opinion that if the day had been fine the poll would have been a record for the electorate. The preliminary totals announced last evening were:

Mrs E. R. McCombs (Labour) ... 6080 P. W. Freeman (Coalition) 3480 E. L. Hills (Ind. Labour) 263

Majority for Mrs McCombs 2600

There are 221 absentee votes, 217 postal votes and 45 seamen's votes still to come.

COMMENT BY MR COATES. "ILLUSORY AND AIRY PROMISES" WELLINGTON, September 13. "The contest is oyer and the elected candidate is to be congratulated, both on her handsome win and on being the first woman to gain Parliamentary honours in New Zealand," said Mr Coates when invited to comment on the result of the Lyttelton by-election: Mr Coates said the electors of Lyttelton would appear to have preferred the illusory and airy promises, involving violent inflationary methods irrespective of consequences, made by the Labour Party, rather than the policy of paying our way and insisting upon aiming for Budgetary balance in a reasonable period. "I desire to congratulate Mr Freeman upon the excellent fight he lias put up," said Mr Coates, in conclusion. "He has done all that could be expected of any candidate."

THE NEW MEMBER. NOTABLE RECORD OF SERVICE. Success has come to Mrs McCombs in her third bid for Parliamentary honours, and her entry into Parliament is the crowning achievement in a notable career of public service. She was born at Kaiapoi and educated at the West Christchurch District High School and the Christchureh Girls' High School, and she has long been regarded as one of the most capable women in the 'New Zealand Labour Party. For seven years she was secretary of the Children's Aid Society, holding that position until her marriage to Mr McCombs about 31 years ago. She has served on the Christchurch City Council for the past 13 years and' is at present chairman of the Electricity Committee. She has also been a member of the North Canterbury Hospital Board for the past nine years and has represented the Sumner-Woolston-Cashmere Hills subdistrict on the Christchurch Tramway Board since 1.927. She is also .a member of several minor local bodies. As chairman of the Electricity Committee of the City Council she has shown considerable administrative ability and has devoted a great deal of attention. to the promotion of means of reducing costs to the private consumer as well as to the industrial and commercial interests. In all her work on local bcjdies she has shown deep interest in matters relating to the welfare of women and children. At the general election in 1928 Mrs McCombs was the Labour candidate for the Kaiapoi seat and polled only 236 fewer votes than the successful candidate In 1.931 she stood in the Labour interests for the Christchurch North seat and polled 3450 votes. She is an ab]e speaker and presents her facts in- a clear and concise manner and has a thorough knowledge of public affairs.

WOMEN IN POLITICS. MANY CANDIDATES FAIL. Of all the women who have tried patiently for a seat in the House of Representatives in New Zealand, Mrs Elizabeth R. McCombs is the first to succeed. The Dominion was a pioneer in one respect, that its women were given the right to sit in Parliament before those of any other country; but, whereas women candidates for Parliamentary honours have been successful in many other lands since then,

New Zealanders have shown an apparent reluctance to place their representation in the hands of the fair sex.

It was the Right Hon. W. F. Massey, then Prime Minister, who in. 1919 brought down legislation allowing women to stand for Parliament. The measure is known as the Women's Parliamentary Rights Act, 1919, and one operative clause reads as follows: "A woman shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage from being elected as a member of the House of Representatives, or from sitting or voting as a member thereof, anything to the contrary in the Legislature Act, 1908, or m any other Act, notwithstanding." Women have figured in the elective fray ever since the passing of that Ace Miss Ellen Melville, of Auckland, made her first attempt to secure election jii 1919. She stood for Grey Lynn, and was voted second place among five aspirants. Since then she has fought every general election. In the same election Mrs R. L. Baume, now Mrs E. W. Kane, of Wellington, and Mrs A. A. M. Cooke stood for Parnell and Thames respectively, but in both cases finished at the bottom of the poll. In Canterburj r , women came into the picture in 1922, when Mrs A. E. Herbert stood for Avon, and Wellington kept pace, Mrs A. McVicar standing for Wellington East. In the same year, Miss Melville stood for Roskill. In 1925, Miss Melville stood for Grey Lynn once more, and w<as the only woman candidate in New Zealand. When the Hon. Sir James Parr accepted the High Commissionership in London the next year, Miss Melville fought Auckland Suburbs unsuccessfully. In the 1928 elections, there Avere five women candidates, Miss Melville (Roskill), Mrs C. E. McGuire (Auckland East), Mrs L. Paterson (Grey Lynn), Mrs M. Young (Wellington Central) and Mrs McCombs (Kaiapoi). The only ones to contest a seat in 1931 were Mrs McCombs, for Christchurch North, and Miss Melville, who tried her luck without success at Auckland East.