VOTES FOR WOMEN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16193, 20 March 1913, Page 2

VOTES FOR WOMEN.

ADDRESSES BEFORE FABIAN SOCIETY.

A public meeting in connection with the New Zealand Fabian Society was held in the Socialist Hall last night, when addresses were given by Miss Hodge and Miss Newcomb. Mrs E. W. Cunnington was in the chair. Mrs Cunnington stated that she wished to draw the audience’s attention to the deep significance of the visit of Miss Hcdgo and Miss Newcomb. New Zealanders owed a great debt of gratitude to these ladies for thdir, visit. The reason for there being so many reformers among women at the present day was due to the fact that women, from their recent learning, had begun to think and then to feel deeply the trouble of the world. 'Women were unfairly treated, said Miss Hodge, both by the Government and the Press of England. The women were out to fight immorality and. intemperance. They had in their midst the horrible misery of prostitution and these were the things they were going to put a stop to. At the root of all these evils was the economic condition which made possible the low payment of women. What they were out to secure was the economic independence of women. Men would not, however, recognise that in some matters women were more observant than men. Women were paid far less than men for the same work. If a woman’s work was as valuable as a man’s, she was worth as much pay. The fault lay with the employer, who wanted to make as much as he could, and so the men were being gradually turned out of their work and their places taken by tho lower-paid woman, worker. Women were excluded from every profession, except the medical profession, but the speaker did not see that they should be excluded from any profession. They would make quite as good soldiers, and she had no doubt that they would make just ns goq-'i sailors. It was an iniquity that in tho gaols the women should not .be attended by women doctors. In order to get the vote, the Suffragettes had been struggling for fiftythree years, but Parliament had met their demands with closed cars. The women could not .trust the men representatives, who, having nothing to gr.-'.i by it, would not give tne demands their support. ' Miss Newcomb spoke about what New Zealand and Australian women were doing in London for the Motherland. Their object, she stated, was help forward in every way tho women * movement. Lady Stout had been tr.n~ president, and was one of their greatest sources of inspiration; They had called forth tho greatest interest and sympathy from tho peoDlo of London. The people of New Zealand also oweci to Ladv Stout a far greater cebt ox gratitude than they knew. The men and women of Britain had the greatosu respect and admiration for Lady btont, and through her for New Zealand. The warmth of feeling in England for the overseas dominions was very great indeed;'- '' 1 V , Some had said that the action of the Suffragettes was all wrong Fut they l\ad done one tiling, and that was 10 teach the women not to be afraid- b.;e hoped that the women of Australia and New Zealand would do something towards helping on the cause of the women in Britain. On behalf of the Fabian Society, the following resolution, proposed by Mi* Howell and seconded ’ey Mrs Cooke, was carried unanimously : .that -tins meeting of Christchurch citizens extends its sympathy to the Bvuish Suffragettes in their struggle for po.itical freedom. We in New Zealand have received inestimable benefit tmongh the extension of the franchise to v, omen, and we are confident that only as the sexes have equal political freedom can the race progress. We regret exceedingly the suffering and injustice inflicted on cur sisters m the Old Land, and trust that ere long the vote will he obtained by them and the humiliating conflict terminated. It was decided that a-copy of tie resolution should he forwarded to the Prime Minister of BritainA hearty vote of thanks to the various speakers closed the meeting. •,