VOTES FOR WOMEN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 595, 25 August 1909, Page 3

VOTES FOR WOMEN.

Tnose.',New Zealanders;■ who most'.;strongly 'condemn the aotions: of.-,the; militant, suffragettes ';ivill hardly; consider ; that Mr. Asquith was justified when'he.refused to receive,a deputation .'.from .200.; hVad mistresses'; of girls', pu'bliq ; secondary; -schools, representing .-40,000 pupils,'; who desired to present a : memorial-to him in',favour ;of the extension of the Parliamentary . franchise;' to :'duly qualified women. Among':the signatories are Mrs. Sophie Bryant, M'iss.H.-'.Je'x-Blake, Miss Dove, Miss Burstall, Miss.L.<M. Faithiull, Miss Gaddesden, .Mrs. Wodehouse, Miss F. R. Gray, M.A., •M.iss'S.,'M. Collie, Miss F. A. A. Bishop, Miss; Catherine T.. Dodd, M.A., Miss R. M. Haig Brown, Miss. Mabel F: Vernon Harcourt, Miss-.H. M. Sheldon, M.A., Miss Lucy Silcox, Miss M.- Bentinck .Smith, Miss. H. Winifred Sturge, 8.A.,-,'and other equally well-known heads.,of, some of the most girls' echools in England. :-..' ...After pointing'out-that they share heavy reBponaoilities,. arid;', that'they suffer 'from disabilities that;; : affect men' teachers, without possessing their power' to' vote concerning' them,-the petition-concludes:'— .;,'•.-■'■ "Other subjects .on: .which we 'desire to bo able to. influence legislation, sincewe hold opinions ,on with the strength which comes from, practical knowledge (though these opin-lons.are-not'-ii'ecessarily 1 unanimous) are: thoreligious training of children, v the medical.inspection ?of children.- the care of'the feebleminded, child labour, compulsory school "attendance, .;:, the -feeding 'of-', 6chool children at public cost, .'school 'age,', the facilities, for the' transfer of pqpils from elementary to secondary schools, continuation schools, reform of the universities. But on •all we are-driven back to the academic attitude ,6nly, and our view's com.mand;3Ust; the, amount.of: attention Usually.' accorded to academic.views.' ."We t desire, enfranchisement,* then, if or the protection of--our-'sex, of girls' schools, of our profession,-.but, above.all,, because v;e believe that with our,votes-;we could help. the country which-at present-declines us as citizens. Knowing.that, men SMVorkvis iuipcrfect without the co^rafaon. of xomen,;,v;e..would.'.desire.to.see not only-tho work,which particularly affects ourselves, but the; whole;wbr,k of, the country perfected, as it. can only be. whenthe'.gifti of women as _weir as; those, of min c&n frefi]y given for its service'.-• This high responsibility for the country will, be fully realised by women as. a--whole, and mßfcilled.into, the,boys and Kins .pi the nation, when, by enfranchisement, women are' given, the same stake in the country as. all other;citizens.", .- '■;-,'.■ \