GRATEFUL WOMEN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 69, 18 September 1908, Page 3

GRATEFUL WOMEN.

THE FEMALE FRANCHISE. 1 ITS ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED A meeting was held in the Town Hall concert chamber last night, under auspices of the Women's Christian Tempeianee Union, to celebrate the anniversary of the granting of the Parliv mentary franchise to the women cf New Zealand. There was an attendance of 160. Mrs. Chappie, who presided, recalled the fact that the franchise wa3 given to the women of this country ifteen years ago. Happily, in this courtry it was gaiued without having to fight the misrepresentations, slanders and falsehoods that had to be contended against in many other lands. Our men in this land had done their best to assist women in every way ; they had been fair and kind and moderate. To Sir John Hall the women of New Zealand owed special thanks; to Sir John and the many others who assisted him in his campaign on their behalf, which had given them their rights without any need to brave the fiery denunciations that beset their sisters in the older lands. Mrs. Low, -who made a short address, said | that women in all parts of the world were trying to scale a great mountain, with various degrees of success ; but in spite of all difficulties they toiled bravely oh. The women of Canada were in the position that, notwithstanding forty years' continuous work, they had mad* »• advancement ; and when a Bill t» gire them the franchise was brought im recently it was dismissed with th» curt remark that until a big public opinion was in favour of it there was no need to consider the Bill. But im most countries something had been accomplished, and while in some instances the vromen had only got up a few small hillocks, in others they had almost reached the summit of the mountain. New Zealand was a case in point. But two countries — Australia and Finland — had climbed higher than New Zealand, for there women were eligible to sit in Parliament, though in Australia there had been no woman elected as yet. In Finland the women were doing 'good work. Mrs. Low said that a lot of contumely had been cast upon the women who in England were trying to gain the franchise for themselves and their sisters — and the speaker had been assured by unprejudiced observers that the English papers were is many cases representing the events unfairly. They called these women "the shrieking sisterhood,"' but the stigma could be returned fey calling their detractors "the shriekiHg newspapers."' And, unfortunately, they did not trouble to shriek the truth ! Mrs. Colonel Knight, of the Salvation Army, said that twelve- years ago she for the first time had the pleasure of "striking out the top line" and of "voting for that renowned man, T. Z. Taylor, and helping to put him at the top of the poll." She went on t» give an address on the horrors »f over-indul-gence in strong drink, based upon personal observations made while in pursuit of her mission work. She urged ail wcmen to strive to abate the evil, and told her hearers that the way to do that was to talk about it and s,ing about it and pray about it and strive against it. The Rev. J. J. North recalled thai, the eminent philosopher John Stuart Mill had prophesied that the granting of women's franchise would ruin the country and make knaves and sneaks of us all. Upon this prophecy John Bright had commented tkat "the worst •f these very great mem was that they were nearly always wreng." Events bad proved tkat Jehn Bright was rigkt and Mill was wrong. Similar doleful prepheeies were mow being made l»y the opponents mi no-license ; and they would »c proved equally wrong. He uiged women to cast their votes on the side of no-license, and to lead their influence ta remedy the social state of affairs that permitted the heavy rackrenting that made it so difficult for a poor man to live honestly in this city. Thd Rev. F. W. Isitt said that on the first occasion that the women got the votes he was disappointed at the results j he had expected that his party would then sweep everything before ft ; but events proved otherwise. He- was glad to know that an improvement was manifest now, and he believed that the women's vote this year was going to be the best vote his party had ever had. He, hoped to see the womanhood of New Zealand declare itself on the side of those who stood for the protection of the home and the benefit of those who suffered. During the evening songs were sung 'by Mrs. Mueller and Miss Lloyd Has■sell. Miss Flux gave a recitation. A vote of thanks to those who assisted at the meeting was passed, on the motion of Mrs. Boxhall, president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union.