LEFT TO FIGHT ALONE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 520, 24 November 1928, Page 1

LEFT TO FIGHT ALONE

WOMAN CANDIDATES TRIALS MRS. MAGUIRE’S STORY The life of a Parliamentary candidate during an election is not an easy one, but some have a harder time than others, and Mrs. C. E. Maguire, pne of the Auckland East candidates, is by no means enamoured of her treatment in the last campaign. Mrs. Maguire told the story of the campaign from the inside to the League of Penwomen in Auckland yesterday, but decided that portions of the story would be better not published. After being introduced by Mrs. Stuart Boyd, Mrs, Maguire'opened her subject by 'remarking that it was a decided • change to stand before a friendly audience without a chance of heckling. .She ' then severely criticised. the various women’s organisations, who, she said, trembled at the word ‘ “politics;” • and denied any connection .with ThOin,’from the National Council .of. Women .downwards. This couneil, ■ representing all the women’s organisations; year after year, sent remits )to ’ Parliament and got no satisfaction. .whatever, yet claimed it was noil-political. During the campaign she had received' private telegrams from' mphy' pf the women’s organisa"tionsi .congratulating her on her pluck, or telling her she was ‘ a fool, just according to their thoughts, but not one. o'f them had been sufficiently interested to ask her to address them. “This is one little corner where I feel that I can tell you what is in my heart ‘ and ifpow that you are not so stupid as to say you ar.e non-political,” she remarked, after advocating a general organisation of women with the idea of tbeip being represented in the conrol. of the “national household,” the -business of which was not confined to money and land as so many women seemed to think. Mrs.. Maguire then opened up the story of the / lnside of her campaign. “I did not want to stand,” she said, “but the Reform executive pressed me continuously, and then sent the women after me. I told them definitely that I could not Support Prohibition or the Bible in Schools, and that if this did not suit them they must find someone else;

“NO sooner did I agree to stand, however, than the trouble began. The executive sent for me, and asked me if I could not stand for Prohibition and the .Bible in Schools: I said I could not go against my previous announcement and my beliefs. Many were tlie unhappy hours that I had as a result, and f am. very sorry If It was through these two questions that I lost the