CONSERVATIVE PARTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20222, 7 October 1927, Page 9

CONSERVATIVE PARTY

CONFERENCE AT CARDIFF. IMPORTANT SUBJECTS. (British Official Wireless.) (Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.) RUGBY, October 5. Mr Baldwin, the Prime Minister, arrived to-day at Cardiff, where to-mor-row he will make an important speech at the opening of the Conservative Party’s Conference. ... The PrimA Minister will, it is understood, deal only with three subjects—namely, the extension of the female suffrage reform of the House of Lords, and economy. ... In regard to the first-named subject the Prime Minister is expected to reiterate the Government’s intention to proceed with legislation giving the vote to all women at the age of 21—that is to say, on the same terms as men. At present a woman aas a vote at 30 years of age, and then only provided/ she is a householder, or the wife of a householder. There are, however, conflicting resolutions on the agenda of the conference as to the age at which universal suffrage should be given to women, and there is a large body of Conservatives who favour 25 years rather than -L The opponents of 21 point out women become eligible to vote at that g , they will outnumber the men voters, and they also express doubts whether women of 21 are either sufficiently interested i or well enough informed about politico subiects. Those who accept the age of 21 argue that women of that age are, generally speaking, as well versed in politics as men of 21, and they do not consider that, even if the women s votes predominated, they would injure either the Conservative Party or the interests of the TSe is likely to be taken on this age question, and the belief in official circles is that the conference will adopt *i.