FEMALE FRANCHISE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8597, 26 September 1893, Page 4

FEMALE FRANCHISE.

The difficulty experienced in persuading women to place their names on the rolls is a strong evidence in support of our contention that the majority of them did not want the franchise. But that question is; no longer open to discussion. The female franchise has now become the law of the land, and it is therefore the duty of every woman to take advantage of the privilege which she now enjoys. With that end in no time should be lost in getting: the names of all women who are qualified placed on the roll. Every man should do his utmost to persuade those over whom he has any influence to fill up the necessary forms. The time within which this can be done is short. The House will, it is understood, rise this week. How soon after that, date the writs will be issued for the new election we do not definitely know. As the Government have throughout shown themselves hostile to the female vote, they may be expected to hurry on the issue of the writs, after which no names can go on the rolls. In the country districts it is not; easy to secure a general enrolment owing to distance and other obstacles. Ministers are not likely to show muoh anxiety on account of the difficulties of voters there. The Government feel instinctively that the effect of the woman vote, in the country at least, is likely to be injurious to their party. The majority there are interested in the maintenance of confidence, in the cause of justice and equity, and are not likely to be carried away by the wild and revolutionary measures which find so much favour in the towns. Now that they have the vote, women both in town and country will fail in their duty if they neglect to register. They must remember that their power in politics is now almost equal to that of men. According to the last census there were 167,762 males in the colony over twenty-one years of age. At the same period there were 130,645 women also over twenty-one. The Electoral Act has, therefore, all but doubled the voting power of the colony. It is of the utmost importance that that voting power should be exercised to the fullest extent.