NEW WOMAN M.P.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23215, 8 December 1938, Page 4

NEW WOMAN M.P.

MRS. JENNIE ADAMSON HUSBAND ALREADY IN HOUSE EARLY INTEREST IN POLITICS [riioil oun owx corrkspoxdknt] LONDON, Nov. 12 Tlio by-election at Dartford, caused by the death of Mr. F. E. Clarke, Conservative M.P., in July, resulted in tho gain of the seat for the Labour Party. Tho successful candidate was Mrs. Jennie L. Ad am son, wife of Mr. W. M. Adam Son, Labour M.P. for the Cannock Division in Staffordshire. She polled 46,514 votes against the 42,276 recorded in favour of Mr. Godfrey Mitchell, National Conservative. At the last election there had been a Conservative majority of 2616. Darti'ord's new M.P. is the 13th woman in the House of Commons, and the only wile to sit beside her husband in Parliament. She was greeted with deafening cheers as she left the counting station. She was seized by her supporters and carried on their shoulders through the streets when her triumph became kuown at 3 a.m. In her speech of thanks, Mrs. 'Adamson said: —" Tho people of this constituency—one of the largest in the country—have sjjown by their votes that they reject 'the foreign policy of tho Government, that they object to tho betrayal of Czechoslovakia and democracy, and that they are determined to see t» it that there shall be no economic cut at the expense of the poor of the community." New Member a Grandmother This will bo the fourth time in the history of tho House of Commons that a husband and AVifo have sat together as members of Parliament, and they aro tho only married couple in the House at present. The three previous cases were Lord and Lady Runciman (then Mr. and Mrs. Walter Runciman), Sir Oswald and the late Lady Cynthia Mosley, and Dr. and Mrs. Hugh Dalton. Mrs. Adamson is the mother of four children, and a grandmother. Mrs. Adamson was asked bv a London newspaper interviewer now she would run her home now that she and her husband were M.P.'s. drawing combined Parliamentary salaries out of £I2OO a year. The new M.P. turned on her questioner and answered fiercely: "Why don't you ask Lady Astor how she runs her home? Lady Astor has more children than I have, and they are younger than mine. No one holds stronger views that I do about mothers of young families who take on other jobs. When my family was at school I had many tempting offers to stand for strong Labour constituencies, but I refused them all. Fireside Discussions

"Now that my two eons and two daughters are married, with families of their own, it is another story. I pride myself that for 25 years I hare been a good housewife and a good mother. "My interest in politics began, I suppose, in the days when I was bringing up the family on the workman's wages my husband earned in Manchester before ho entered Parliament. Round the fireside wo used to discuss party questions after the children had gone to bed, and I firmly believe that there is room for working-class women in Labour candidates' ranks. Indeed, there is need for them there. "I shall still cook the Sunday joint when we are at home together. Our home at Forest Hill will not suffer because I have a new sphere of usefulness."