WOMEN'S VOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 89, 16 April 1927, Page 9

WOMEN'S VOTES.

ABSORBING TOPIC. Vexed Question of Suffrage Age. CONSERVATIVE OPPOSITION. (By Cable—Press Association.—Copyright.) - LONDON, April 13. Since Mr. Stanley Baldwin's announcement in the llou.se of Commons \otes for women has a-ain become an absorbing topic. Strange to say, criticism of the idea of votes for women at the age of 21 comes solely from members of the Conservative party and lue Conservative Press. The "Daily Chronicle" says both the Opposition parties iavour tins rviuriu. li. is estimated that ol about 0,00U,U00 in w women voters under the scheme 3.000,001) would be between 21 and 30 \eaia old and the remaining 2,000,000 women over 30, who arc at present disqualified. Apparently there is no difference of opinion as to the proposal to lower the voting age from 30 to 23. The difference arises us regards women between 21 and 2. The opponents of this step are equally prepared to deprive men ol those ages of the vote, says the political correspondent of the "Morning ll was easy to see how painfully eon-cious Mr. Baldwin was of the lack ol approval on his own side of the House when he made his announcement.. Afterwards in the lobby it was luinl to discover more than a handful .>1 ConseiNatives in favour of the Government's decision, which beyond doubt Ins iiecn taken in the face of every expi essiou of party opinion.

It is estimated that if the plan is carried out the vvonnii votei- .nil outnumber the men in 70 per cent of the constituencies.

The "Daily Telegraph"' says that when the bill js discussed an cliort will no doubt be made to fix the age of men and women voters alike at 25, but although arguments in favour of this are many and strong, it is quite a forlorn hope that they will prevail. Twentvone haR been the age of manhood for so long that it is a delusion to suppose it can be altered now, says the writer. If political equality is assumed 21 must also be the ngc of womanhood.

Conservative members of the ITousc of Commons, with one eye on their constituencies, are reluctant to express their opinions openly.

Lady Astor. M.P. for Sutton, Plvmonth, .-ays she is not the least frightened of women's votes. She has now been in the House for eight years and has found that since women had the vote moral and social questions are treated from a different point of view, not as freak legislation.

The militant notivities of the bodv of women who gained notorietv as the "Suffragettes." of whom Mrs. Pankhurst was one of the prune leaders, achieved nothing but indignities and imprisonment for its members until the outbreak of the Great V\ ar. Then their energies found another channel in National Service, to which they loyally devoted themselves, Mrs. Pankhurst in particular, being active in recruiting work and patriotic speeches. After

the coming of peace a mensuic of suffrage was cianted by the Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act of 101 S. under which n woman was Riven the light to vote if (at she has attained the ape of 30 years, (bl is not subject to any legal incapacity, and (el is entitled to be registered as local government elector in respect of the occupation of land or premises in the i onstitucney, or is the wife of a husband so registered. This is equivalent to the suffrage granted to men. with the exception of the age qualification, which for a man is 21 years.