WOMEN’S FRANCHISE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 306, 24 November 1932, Page 7

WOMEN’S FRANCHISE.

RATIO IN INDIA. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Nov. 22. The Indian Round Table Conference completed to-day its discussion on the women’s franchise question. At present women electors in India are in the ratio of one woman to 21 men. The Lothian Committee considered this insufficient, and made various suggestions considerably increasing the number of women voters.

Literary qualifications plus a property qualification produced a ratio of one woman to twelve men voters, and the conference on the whole seemed to favour a literary test in preference to a primary standard test since it gave a larger number of women voters.

So mo difficulty was encountered regarding the wives’ and widows’ class numbering 4,300,000, the inclusion of which would increase the ratio of women voters to one woman to 4.4 men. Several objections were advanced to this qualification, and it was agreed that the matter should be further examined.

Regarding the method of election to British Indian seats in the Federal Assembly, the conference favoured direct election, but as this question is not unconnected with that of the size of the Federal Assembly it was pointed out that acquiescence in direct election should be without prejudice to a later decision on the size of the House.

It was generally agreed that the qualifications for the present Legislative Councils would be suitable for the new Assembly.