FIRST WOMAN SENATOR

Taranaki Daily News, 28 April 1930, Page 9

FIRST WOMAN SENATOR

FEMINISTS IN CANADA.

QUEBEC UNPROGRESSIVE. Ottawa, Canada. The policy of equal rights for women registered a notable advance when, the Privy Council having ruled that a woman is a “person” within the meaning of the British North .America Act,. Mr. Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada, named Mrs. Cairine Wilson of Ottawa to sit in the Senate of Canada. There was already one woman in the House of Commons—Miss Agnes Mae-, phail, a former school teacher, who represents am agricultural constituency. But the feminist movement has had its rebuffs also. The Legislature of the province of Quebec formally refused women the right to practise law, although they may practise medicine, and a little later voted down a proposal that women be given the provincial franchise. They have voted for years in Federal elections. The Legislature divided 4 to 24 on the subject of votes for women, and advocates of this extension of the franchise were encouraged by the fact that steady gains- had been made since the q. estion was introduced, some years agQp so that this year’s adverse majority of tWentv was the smallest recorded in several divisions. No doubt another attempt will be made next year. The first woman Senator in Canada is the wife of Mr. Norman Wilson, a former member of Parliament, and a daughter of the late Hon. Robert Mackay of Montreal, himself a Senator and director. of numerous companies including the Canadian Pacific Railway. She is several times a millionaire, has eight children, and has never been aggressively active as a feminist. Mrs. Wilson is about 40 years of age, dresses charmingly, and her first speech in the Senate was made in both French and English. Mrs. Wilson is the youngest member of the Upper House. The oldest is the Hon. George Casimir Dessaulles, who will be 103 if he lives until next September. The venerable gentleman, who is descended from some of French Canada’s most distinguished families, was well and active until a few months ago, but he has not been able to attend the present session of Parliament and it is doubtful if he will be seen again in the capital.