WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 123, 20 November 1935, Page 19

WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT

Agreement,with the principle of admitting women to the House, of Representatives as members was expressed by Mr. R. A. .Wright, Inde=pendent candidate for Wellington Suburbs, when speaking at Kaiwarra last night.

"I am satisfied that the entry of women into the political arena has done a considerable amount of good in New Zealand," said Mr. Wright. "They have exercised their votes freely, and have been instrumental in compelling the introduction of humanitarian legislation."

Mr. Wright said it was now sixteen years since Mr. Massey, moved this step, carried it through the House, and passed it on to the Legislative Council. The members of the Council of the day were ready enough to see women admitted to the House of Representatives, but they did not like the idea of women being admitted to the' nominated Chamber, and ultimately Mr. Massey and his colleagues agreed- that women's representation in Parliament should be . limited to the House of Representatives. Sixteen years before, Mr. Seddon had carried through the House a Bill giving women the right of voting at elections, such as they had- done in the past,, and would do a week hence. It was sixteen years ago that the TOgnen of this country secured the rigm to be made eligible for seats in Parliament. This Mr. Massey used to tell us, was mainly due to the great service women had rendered to the Dominion during the war. The only woman that so far had secured this distinction was Mrs. McCombs, who succeeded her husband on his death and who had since passed away.