HOSPITAL ELECTIONS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14283, 27 April 1917, Page 6

HOSPITAL ELECTIONS.

(To the Editor of tne Herald. l

Sir,-*— Allow me to make a slight diversion from your summary of the above election. A close scrutiny of the figures proves conclusively .two things : First woman, considering her heavy handicaps did very well; second, getting outside of the pai'tisan votes not more thai; 30 men voted for the women candidates. I do not wish to take up too much space with figures— <l few will suffice : — 2294 voters went to the poll. Oil tho electoral roll only one-third of the number are

women ; thferefoi"e, from the very outset for every 50 men who voted", only 14 women were allowed for. The strength of Labor vote 750 (men and women). 1760 more men than women voted; balance 572, women force available. Dr ! Collins, beat Mrs Goffe by 144 votes. Considering the faot that women did very little engineering, I do not think the women candidates did so badly. When you ad'di to that the fact that by equal rights she shc-uld have had 500 more of a voting force, and 1 that she scattered her forces among- the men and received only 30 votes m return, I think you will have to acknowledge she did splendidly. 1 should be quite prepared to take those 572 un compromised votes as a base for further developments. Forgiveness and meddling. — With regard to women's attitude toward hospital affairs, I think these epithets are irrelevent. There has been no forgiveness, for there has been an utter ignoring of the previous injustice, That is a depth of philosophy mere man can never reach, and when you free women from every tax, every hardship, when solicitors give free services ■ to widows and orphans; m fact, when you have made all her circumstances and conditions m keeping with the thing your fanay has made of her, then only will we sea consistency. In taking this matter up, please do not think I am meddling. We are all getting down to first causes. I would like to know wlio 1 has a greater right to have a say m civic matters : I who am bound to '^his Dominion by two of the most powerful mundane "factors, heritage- 'and toil, or those among you who live m the comfort and security, won by the hard toil, and the singleness of purpose, of me and mine. — I nm, etc., . E. .T. SMITH.