WOMEN VOTERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20426, 5 June 1928, Page 11

WOMEN VOTERS.

POSmON IN NEW ZEALAND. MR T. M. WILFORD’S VIEWS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, April 26. An interview with Mr T. M. Wilford on the subject of women voters appears in several provincial newspapers. Mr Wilford gives a fair estimate of the position in New Zealand. He expresses surprise that the grant of votes to women at 21 should excite fears among those who do not favour the proposal. “ My experience during my 32 years of politics,” he said, “ has been that the average young woman of 21 has more discernment, common sense, and judgment than the young man of the same age. Our New Zealand Parliament in 1893 gave the right to all to vote after they had reached the age of 21 years. Since that year our young men and women have availed themselves of the privileges and no revolution has taken place, though most of the young women are industrialised. No woman has yet succeeded in getting a seat in our House of Represeneatives, though some able women have stood for election. “ It has been said that women cannot get into Parliament in my country because women will not vote for women as a general rule; I believe this is true; and it will be found in Great Britain in years to come, when the franchise has been extended, that there will be fewer women in Parliament than there are now. “ For 29 years continuously my constituency has returned me to Parliament. The majority of the electors there are ■workers, and though I have for many elections been opposed by able Labour iepresentatives, the Socialistic utterances of my opponents have never made the young women lose their heads. No man who plays fairly with his constituents need fear the women's vote. “ If the representatives of the people her could appreciate jthe attitude of the young women in New Zealand towards the Empire they would realise that they are real assets in our great commonwealth even before they are 21 years of age, and can be trusted in any emergeuev to keep their heads and run straight. Yes, women of even 21 understand men far better than men of that age understand wen or women."