LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 August 1936, Page 12

LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE

WirMAN" REFUSED MEMBERSHIP?

LONDON, June 25.

A woman who this week applied foi membership of the London Stock Exchange had her application refused, by the Committee. She is Mrs Gosnett. who has for some time acted as “half-; commission man” with a Stock Exchange firm. The Committee has absolute discretion to accept or reject any application for membership without giving the public or the applicant any reason for the decision. No statement will be made about Mrs Gosnett’s case. There is nothing in the Stock Exchange rules to prevent the election bf a woman. There is only one direct reference to women in the whole of the rules. This occurs in the provision that a member’s wife must not be in business on her own. account. The reason for this is obviously the fear that a wife might incur business losses which would impair the credit of her husband. In refusing Mrs Gosnett’s application the Stock Exchange Committee is following a precedent set 11 years ago. In 1925 a woman applied for membership, but was not elected. ft would be wrong to suppose that the Committee’s decision implies any reflection upon the standing and reputation of the woman applicant.