WOMEN AND THE BY-ELECTION

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20957, 11 September 1933, Page 7

WOMEN AND THE BY-ELECTION

TO THE EDITOR OF THE rRES3. Sir, —With the by-election only a few days away, it seems necessary and advisable to clear up some of the vagueness in the minds of women electors regarding their candidate. I say "their candidate" advisedly, for Mrs McCombs is first, and should be foremost, the women's candidate. Women should vote for Mrs McCombs because her family was instrumental in getting New Zealand women the franchise. Are we to lag behind even "Turkey, which has a woman member —we, the first country in the world to have the franchise for women? Second, as her career and upbringing show, she has always been in the forefront where women's questions are concerned, and is not afraid to speak up for her own sex at all times. Third, as a housewife she is accustomed to the basic principle of keeping expenditure within the limits of her purse, and t£ie daily struggle with hard facts and all the thousand and one tasks falling to the housewife give her a grasp of facts, of realities, invaluable when considering the economic problems of government to-day. It is a well-known fact that women have far more conscience with public money than their fellowmen. Fourth, women with training as mothers can do great service to their by bringing to bear on political questions minds intent on learning the facts and on deciding on them without fear or favour. It is a great tragedy that after all these years of national education there are such large numbers of women and men who let others dictate to them what their political thought should be. Women have passed through the illusion of feminism to the reality of equal citizenship status; even the women of New Zealand, who after having the vote for more than 30 years, have yet no woman in Parliament. The electors of Lyttelton have now the opportunity of removing this blot from the fair name of New Zealand. What better time than the present? What belter woman than Elizabeth McCombs? —Yours, etc., TORY ENGLISHWOMAN. September 9, 1933.