HAVE WOMEN VOTERS DONE THEIR DUTY?

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1702, 19 March 1913, Page 4

HAVE WOMEN VOTERS DONE THEIR DUTY?

Sir,—Just now, when we hear so much of the suffrage question, it would not ho out of place to ask the women of New Zealand what they have dono. with the power entrusted to them. As a woman, whose work does not allow her to take an active part in these meetings, I have nevertheless taken a keen interest in all questions of the hour; and I must confess to a feeling of great disappointment in the matter. Possibly I am wrong—l hope so—hut I shall be glad if anyone will point to even a single law that woman can put her hand on and say, "1 did that." It seems to me that, in striving for prohibition, we women have forgotten everything else. We have certainly increased the prohibition vote, but the one thing that I hoped that all women would interest themselves in was the protection of their own sex in the shape of little children. I grant that we liavo societies for the protection of women and children, but they seem mostly to deal with the proper rearing of babies—a very necessary object—but what of the nroteclion of those children we have already brought through the infant stage One cannot read the papers without being struck with the great increase of unspeakable crimes against our little girls. We seem at last to have found a Judge who is not afraid to treat these monsters as they deserve. Two yen rs ago a Judge apologised to a man for having to give him six months. Jt \tas a case of criminal assault on a little child, and the man was brought in guilty. It is hard to think there could have been extenuating circumstances. I consider that as a body we women have grossly neglectod our duly'. Why have we not sent men to Parliament pledged to protect our children? I have never seen any report of such a question being asked, nor have T heard it, but T maintain that one should say to a candidate:-"Are you in favour of severer laws against men who ruin our children?" Till we have done something worth doing, don't let us boast of our franchise. I,ct it he deeds, not words. Now that we liave representatives of the English Suffrage Society amongst 11s, let us look into our owii domestic affairs, and say if we have used the suffrage os it could and should be used.—l am, etc., WOMAN VOTEIi.