WOMAN CABINET MINISTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 239, 6 October 1923, Page 19

WOMAN CABINET MINISTER.

"OCR MART ELLEN. ,, The first woman Cabinet Minister In the British Empire is Mrs. Mary Ellen Smith, who Iβ a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Since 1018 Mrs. Smith has represented Vancouver City in the provincial Parliament, and, In January, 1921, the was given a seat in the Cabinet as Minister of Education. In the following February ehe was nominated for the post of Speaker, but declined the honour, and was sworn In as President of the Council, an oCQce which sometimes goes with the Premiership, but did not In her case. Mrs. Smith held her. Cabinet post for a year and then resigned. Through' -it the Dominion she Iβ known affection* ly and familiarly as "Our Mary Ellen." One of the happiest moments of' her life, .•the says, was when a youns Finnish mother came to her and said: "We're got one baby girl at our house, and we name him vor you; Mary Ellen Ralph Smith Johanessen," Ralph being the Christian name of Mrs. Smith's late husband. Mrs. Smith is particularly Interested In problems affecting the social and economic welfare of women and girls, but she is concerned with public questions generally.