MISS. PRESTON STANLEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20086, 25 October 1928, Page 9

MISS. PRESTON STANLEY.

A WOMAN IN PARLIAMENT. "The experiences of a Woman M.L.A. was tho subject of an address given to 9 meeting of .women in the concert chamber yesterday afternoon by Miss Preston Stanley, of Sydney Miss Stanley is an exmembor of the New South Wales Assembly, and sho was a member of the Nationalist Party which was in Opposition during tho Lang Government of that State. Miss Ellen Melville was in the chair and introduced Miss Stanley to her audience, and also on the platform was .Mrs. Lce-Cowie. After expressing interest, in tho "group of gallant women" who were prepared to take their place in Parliament in this country, Miss Preston Stanley said that thero wore many definitions of Parliament. Some there wero who called it "the great Palaver," some, "the last refuse oi' the scoundrel," others "a place where the rainbow of hope set never to rise again." It'was a place where all too often, against tho subtle influences that were brought to bear upon an individual, ideals languished, withered and died. "With all its weaknesses—and they wero many," said Miss Stanley, "it was the tinest institution that the genius of man had yet evolved for settling by equitable and representative means the problems that beset nations." In Parliament she quickly learnt tho truth of the old adage that "things were not what they seemed." Thero, men often were to bo heard expressing views that were not their own, but tho views of the 'great vested interests whose mouthpiece they had become The Labour Party, which was then in power, was as unfavourable to women in Parliament as was tho party in Opposition. By means of the gag and tho guillotine it practically disfranchised members of the Opposition in ' regard to many exceedingly vital incisures which they had advocated. Thero were many people outside Parliament who, unaware of the usages which can ho adopted to block members in the House, came to the conclusion in consequence that a woman member was less active and took less interest. in the measures brought before the House than tliev had had reason to expect. Some of ilieso Parliamentary usages that had been, put into effect against .her by the Lang Government were detailed by the speaker. As she was the only woman in Parliament in tho State of "New South Wales, she was in consequence deluged with letters and with interviews from women such as did not befall the ordinary Parliamentary man. That a large electorate was better for a woman to work than a small one was tho considered opinion of Miss Stanley. With a. larger number of peorile public opinioD was not so easily manipulated. That woman should take her place in the public life of her ■ country was strongly emphasised by Miss Stanley. "Woman," she said, "is the ark of tho race. From her guiding hands man takes his first step up the. broken ladder of life. It was no democracy that did not have men and women together facing tho problems that beset human life and human destiny." In the great question of conserving tho lives of the mothers of the race women essentially should have a voice in whatever measures were taken. In her own State of New South Wales an average of 297 women died each year in childbirth. Was th;,t not a problem for women to face? "If we women are. not. prepared to put power ■in the hands of women, so that they might meet such problems, then we arc« indeed poor things," said Miss Stanley in conclusion.