WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17239, 15 February 1918, Page 3

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE

MUST CONCESSION IN BRITAIN. PROBABLE EFFECT ON POIiITICAL FUTURE.

Knowing the interest taken in the measuro known as the Representation of the People Bill, a Daily Times reporter waited on Mrs Kineton Parkes, who is at present in Dunedin, with a view to eliciting some particulars relative to this important measure. Mrs Parkes has been prominently associated with the campaign for women's riglifs iii Great Britain for a number of years, and is at present in Dunedin enjoying a well-earned rest. Mrs Parkes explained that the Bill was the outcome of the deliberations of what was known as the Speaker's Conference, which consisted of nominated members of all parties in tho House. One of the cjanses, explained Mrs Paries, stipulated that no woman under the age of 50 shall be enfranchised. Had an attempt been made to pass the Bill without this restriction its passage would have been seriously jeopardised. Suffragists, therefore, after mature deliberation decided to waivo the demand hitherto made, "The Vote as it is or may bo granted to men," realising , that the conference had inserted this clauso na a. means of counteracting a preponderance of women which a simple measure of adult suffrage would have produced. As it is, some six million of women will be enfranchised. Prior to leaving England Mrs Parkes said she had attended the House of Commons and had listened to the debates on tho Bill, and from, what she heard she was convinced that the measure would reach tho Statute Book. Thero was, in her opinion, only one thing that was likely to hinder its passage, and that was the overthrow of the Government before it came up for its final reading. All danger as to the safety of the Bill, she was pleased to say, had now been removed, and as she understood tho cables appearing in the newspapers, tho Bill had now passed into law and was probably only awaiting tho Royal assent. Tho measure, explained Mrs Parkes, is remarkable, inasmuch as it is the first time that the Bill having for its object the enfranchisement of women has ever reached the committee stage of the Houso of Commons, and also the first time that it was made a Government measure. What effect will the measure have on the political future at Home? asked the reporter. Ifor years, said Mrs Parkes, they had been agitating for the introduction tof amended legislation affecting women and children, and now that the franchise had been extended to women she has reason to believe that some alteration could bo looked for in this respect. To show the dilatoriness in passing legislation of this nature it had only to be mention<»d that it took 30 years to pass tho Mariied Women's Property Act into law. Under existing law, or rather the law as it stood prior to tho passing- of the Representation of People Bill, no politician w.ts responsible to women. Politicians would promise all sorts of things, but it onded there. Wl*it effect is the enfranchisement of women going to havo on tho liquor question? queried the pressman. In reply, Mrs Parkes said thai women's minds had been so concentrated on the for the vote that such qncstions, even tho important one of liquor, had not had the ewions or united attention they demanded, bceaose Suffragists had experienced the futility and wasted effort in any attempt to gam reforms without political representation. She folt certain, however, that in the near future women would specialise in all directions. . The fight for the vote would now cease, women's efforts Tronld quickly bo directed to other channels of activity in the political world, especially in tho matter of social legislation.

Asked as to what had brought about such o. revulsion of feeling in favour of fcho enfranchisement of women, Mrs Parkes said it was largely a question of expediency. It was not the women themselves who had changed; they had always been ready to do work of a patriotic Bnd charitable nature; it only needed the nation's necessities to afford women the opportunity. Mr Asqtrith was_ a very good example of men's changed attitude towards women's work which mori had evidently not previously understood. Another reason, B-aid Mrs Parkes, why women wero_to bo given the right to vote at parliamentary elections was that a general election was pending, and it would be impossible to go to the country on the 1913 register. She explained that prior to the war tho register had been revised annually, but this had been neglectod during the srreat struggle. How was it tha', tie suffragettes, having called a trnoe during tho war, managed to get this clause giving them the franchise inserted in the Bill? askod the interviewer. Because, said Mrs Parkre, tho electoral reform that talked about was going to enfranchise soldiers, sailors, and many civilians who were not privileged to exercise tho vote, and women in Groai Britain had always said that any extension of the franchise in tho future must include women.

Will this extension of tho franchise to women have fch>» effect of forming trades unions among womc-rv? Mrs Parkes Raid women hnd not hr.d trades unions for tho simple reason that inieh organisations wore non-efirative without position! power fochira} thrrn. The Kiiffrcigettro. however, now hoped to do some-tliin-tr in the way of bindincr industrial and professional -women together in a wny far moro effecrivo than trades unionism.