WHERE WOMEN VOTE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13274, 1 May 1907, Page 3

WHERE WOMEN VOTE.

NEW ZEALAND'S EXAMPLE. (Bv Harold Spencer, in the London "Daily Chronicle,") Women's suffrage, is at present exercised in two English C'olonLs— tiia Australian Commonwealth and New Zealand—and in several Western States of America,. It is entirely natural that English opinion\sliould ba influenced rather by the example oi our own sister communities than by the United States. Let us, therefor;, see how it works in Australasia, .especially as we have very high and valuable evidence cn the eg experiments. X"ew Zealand "was the first British colony to adopt women's" ,svifrn<!e —as iar back as 1893. There had been for coma years before a movement in favour cf giving women the vote, and it had b-en supported by the Labour Party in the General' Election of 1890. But th> agitation was making little progress, and the New Zealand ■women themselves cared little for it. What suddenly precipitated it ir.to legislative form was the zeal of the temperance peo- • pie, who hoped that the women voters would help them to gain prohibition. But the fight was not won at <mce.< A -Suffrage Bill passed through the Lower Eoiise j in 1891, but- was thrown out by the Legislative Council. It was brought in again in 1892, and with the help of the temperance vofco passed the Council by a majority of. two. There was no excitement. "Woman," says Mr Pember Reeves, "was not repelled or alarmed , by the proposal; sha round it rather agreeable than otherwise—hardly more than that. She was like a young iady who receives an unexpected, offer." 'lhj New Zealand woman was given universal adult suiirage. '1 hough she had not sought, it, she immediately used it. Out of 140,000 women, 109,C00 had placed themselves on the register in a few months and 90,000 voted in the General Election, of November 1893. They voted peacefully and in «order duting the day, while the men were. at. work, and left the booths to tlio nr.nin the evening. 1 hey have voted with similar regularity and orderliness ever since. The example of New Zealand was followed by South Australia in 1894, Western Australia, in 1899, the new Australian Commonwealth in 1900, and New South Wales in 1902. Queensland and Tasmania have shown no. interest in the matter; while in Victoria a Women's Suffrage- Bill has been rejected half a dozen times by the Upper House. * How do the women use the-ir new powers in thes; far-off island states of , our Em-, pire? Yery calmly, by all accounts. "It is fair to say," says Mr Reeves, "that roughly, women make very much the same use of the franchise as do men." The re suit- has not produced either a nc-w heaven or a new hell. Men have not been deprived of their rights . Th°re has been no disorder or unseemly b.havious —no strange and sudden revolution in dress or manner:--. " Enfranchisement," Mr Reeves's phrase. " has led neither to divided households nor divided skirts." Families, as a matter of fact, generally vote on the same side. But on the other hand there is a general agreement that family life has becom? brighter, that husbands and wive'; have more object.? in common to talk e>bout and that women are really petting thfctn-se'v-es to study and watch public affairs. One or two results will come as a surprise to hasty prophets in this country. Women have not proved a prevailingly Conservative force. In New Zealand they have consistently supported the I'rogre-s----sivrf Party, forward combination composed of what we should call Liberal and Labour men, and have shown no sign of favouring reaction. They have not shown . themselves the slaves of the. priests. The-y have consistently supported the broad -educational policy of the Progressives, and have resisted clerical pressure. They have -'.-trengthened the temperance party, but more at the local cption polls than, in elections. Thc-y have helped to pass a more reasonable divorce law, and have raised the age of consent. They have not piouucea any iwoiUtio.i in tii. uicua ciiaiOi V/i. - U .,iuaii, Wiiicli la just- about ai good ana ut.*i iu, in iAiuju j.-«.iiuaiiie~uj ijv.oic iiua \i LI.J ilaU ». «ijS ~ .I.i it L-iO m.u, .y..* euiitu a special meeting ui \. | iowij iian. on l,ic .01 i.i wiiu lus liana on his Xieai L. " A-auic.s, x have sinnca," his saia. --ina th..-y him. ice effects, in fact, have b&*n. rather social ehan political. seeui lu be U'.a-cd v.-n-i more rem inspect —.;nu noe.inereiy at- election tim.s. iiicie lias ane-eu between the sexes that- tense ox equality' vlsieli le. p.lhaps U.o only pormanienu aua tnauiing basis. " Speaking generally," suys Mr Reeves, tlicy hava uaipiy necoine- citizens, whose part in pubiiu uli'airs is r.ot sh;irp. ! y distinguished irorn that of men." Inere is tlie> point—the " sharp distinction" has duapp.ared. New j.eaiand women have simply .yepped imo equality. And fourteen years of political lixe have shown them equal to that equality. Working side by side with man, woman still kiips her place—" Not like to like, bub like in difference." " The wordpictures," says Mr Pvee-.vcs, " of which Colonists used to have so" many given them (if domestic discord, of children forgotten, husbands uncared for, dinners uncooked, dress and appliance- neglected—have ai-

ready almost passed from memory. It is the commonest sight to sea husband, wife and grown-up chi'dren walking or driving cheerfully-to the polls together. The head ;of the family has become a more important factor in politics than of old.*' " Politics," says another witness, " have rot been raised to V. higher, standard. But the people are more effectually represented than they had ever been b.fore." . Precisely so. It is not so much the gift of a privelfge, as the removal cf an inequality. It is not a political revolution so much as a social evolution.