TRUST LANDS TRUSTEES

Wairarapa Daily Times, 14 September 1936, Page 4

TRUST LANDS TRUSTEES

WOMAN GUIDANCE DESIRABLE. (Contributed.) A peculiar feature in the history of this Trust is that it was, and is, one of the earliest in the British Empire to allow women to vote in the election of Trustees. Associated with this fact is another in that, while various bodies, including Parliament itself, have elected women members to executive positions, Masterton has failed to elect a woman to this —should be—peculiarly domestic Trust.

Beading the recently published reports of Trustees’ discussions, one is prompted to call attention to these facts, with the suggestion that, say, two women would be an acquisition, for instance, on the question of what to do with the Opera House. When a woman purposes an alteration, addition or repair to a building, she usually has a purpose in view, and studies various ways in which results can be got from money to be expended. The present Trustees are reported to be studying how best, by favour of a Government Department, several thousands of pounds can be cheaply borrowed. A woman would ask why spend all that money, and would want to know why, before voting to get into debt. Some years ago the number of Trustees was increased from six to nine—• why was it done? Possibly now the present Government, on petition from the Trustees, would reduce the number to six, and, it being a domestic affair, of the six some- might well be women.