VOTES FOR YOUNGSTERS OF EIGHTEEN.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VIII, Issue 300, 21 November 1918, Page 7

VOTES FOR YOUNGSTERS OF EIGHTEEN.

| Sydney, Nov. 4. When the Labour Conference at Perth a few months ago passed a resolution that the franchise should be extended to every girl and boyon reaching the age of IS, Australia smiled. It was. regarded as one of the many fanciful ideas of that amazing- and fanciful gathering, whch would probably vanish like mist before the warm sunshine of reason. It remained fiir the Queensland Bolshevist Government to reach the reducto ad absurdum in the matter. A few days ago the proposal was embodied it a Bill, and the Queensland Parliament was solemnly asked to give tit the force of law. No sound argument was offered in support of it —no sound argument, in fact, was offered at all. The scheme simply- stood forth as a brazen attempt by the Queensland Government to add thousands to the ranks of Socialist voter-' by roping in thoughtless and impulsive girls and boys who are capable of being vwayed by any mad parrot-cry or foolish shibboleth. The Bill, naturally, was accepted in the Legislative Assembly, where the Bolshevists are supreme, but it is not likely to get past the Legislative. Council which, badgered and bullied as it- is by the Government, still stands firmly in the path of fanatical irre-sponsiblcs who to-day rule Queensland. There are indications that th Bill go through, givng permission to all soldiers and exsoldiers between JS and 21 years to exercise the franchise; but that all t-be rest of the scheme will be cutout. Moderate Queensland opinion is very irritated by the proposal. A “Gilbertian farce” about- expresses the prevailngidea. Others >ay that if we are t-o have responsible Government in this country, the voting age should be raised rather than lowered.