WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 73, 30 March 1929, Page 11

WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT

NINE NOW IN THE COMMONS

Another woman has been elected to the House of Commons lately. Mrs. Hugh' Dalton has retained Bishop Auckland for the Socialists; but she may not represent it after tho General Election, since it is her husband who is the official candidate for this constituency, says a writer in the "Australasian." Dr. Dalton is the sou of Canon Dalton, of St. George's Chapel, Windsor. He is known as one of ■ the "Socialist aristocrats," and has been spoken of as an eventual leader of the Socialist party. At present he is Socialist M.P. for Peokham, bat he has decided not to contest this seat again at the General Election. Bishop Auckland has been choson instead, and Mrs. Dalton is "keeping the seat warm" for her husband. Mrs. Runciman is doing the same thing for her husband; but if these women members do retire in favour of their husbands, it is to be hoped that other constituencies will be found for them. Mrs. Runciman is an asset to the Liberals, and Mrs. Daltou should prove a valuable addition to the Labour benches, since she has had a good deal of experience on the London County ' Council, and is known as an exceptionally able speaker.

There are now nine women members in the Houso of Commons. Tho number may not be large, but they make their presence felt all the same. They have a way of unostentatiously introducing changes which the mere male would have thought quite impossible to bring about. For hundreds of years it has been the rule that a member must wear a hat when raising a point of order after a division has been called. But the women members find it inconvenient to have their hats always to hand, so thoy have simply had the rule waived for them. The men members are feeling quite unhappy about it— they don't know what to oxpect next.