LAST WORDS OF MR AND MRS PHILIP SNOWDEN IN NEW ZEALAND.

White Ribbon, Volume 20, Issue 234, 18 December 1914, Page 12

LAST WORDS OF MR AND MRS PHILIP SNOWDEN IN NEW ZEALAND.

On Friday afternoon, the nth December, <i small gathering of Temperance workers met at the Y.M.C.A. building in Wellington, by the invitation of the X.Z. Alliance, to bid Godspeed to Mr ana Mrs Snowden prior to their return to the Homeland. Rev. W. J. Connie briefly expressed to the distinguished visitors the hetrty good wishes of all their New Zealand friends, after which Mr Snowden spoke feelingly of the kindness they had received throughout their visit, which he said would remain with them all their lives as a very pleasant memory. The meetings throughout had been good, and well attended; sometimes at first almost painful through the intensity of attention, they had grown more inspiring and enthusiastic as ‘he tour pro' eede l Referring to the elections just past, he said though the results were not just what we should have liked, we must not be despondent, bearing in mind the stupendous character of the tn-N and the great difficulties to overcome. Success in any great reform was never unbroken, but always had a forward and a backward movement In some districts advance had been made, and it was possible that the percentage of electors voting was not so high as three years ago. As the result of experience in working for various reforms in the Homeland, he emphasised the necessity for sustain ed effort, so as to educate public opinion and remove prejudice. Wherever they had gone, they had found in New Zealand that people had the idea that No-License was a failure, and that things were actually worse than under License. He was quite convinced that this was not the case, and on this point public opinion must be educated. If he might make another suggestion without being impertinent, he would urge tha. the Temperance party must not con fine their efforts to energetic propaganda work for a few weeks before the election. Fublic meetings had their limitations; they did not reach the people that required reaching In their tour they had probably reached about 100,000, but there were 600,00 c electors, so some means must be devised of reaching the rest. 1 hey

would have gone back with lighter hearts if the results of the poll had been different, but as it was, no one must be discouraged. It was impos sible to have defeat in a good cause; though progress might be arrested for a time, it could no more be stopped than a stream could be stopped by a pebble thrown into its waters. Quoting from the famous Reform speeches of W. F. Gladstone in 1867, the banner might droop, but it would rise on the breeze again, and be carried to victory, for the great social fortes were on the side of right, and tin* cause of righteousness could never be ultimately defeated. ‘‘God’s in 11 is heaven! All's well with the world.” lU' had seen wonderful changes in h’; time, and all in the right direction, and he was convinced that the day would come when the universal reign of righteousness should be established on the earth. Mrs Snowden wished also to cm phasise the fact that they had had a delightful time, and would always remember the friendships they had made, which she hoped some day would be renewed. During the vi>it she had noted many things, and she would like to suggest that special attention be paid to combating the tendency to loose thinking on the part of women. She thought it was one of the saddest things that a woman especially a mother of boys, should vote for liquor. One argument that a woman had urged at one of her meetings was that it was best to keep the public houses open so as to make the boys strong. She did not suppose there were very many who thought this, but she was surprised to hear it from any mother. Another thing she not'iccd was that tlulrc were many who so much admired the Old Land that they would take as gospel anything that came thus labelled. She hoped that before next election it would be possible to send out such information as would counteract the evil effect of misleading quotations. She con eluded by once more thanking all who had shown them so much kindness, and they would always be proud to feel they had so many friends on the other side of the world. After Mrs Snowden had spoken the meeting was thrown open for social intercourse, and the friendly cup of tea. Our reporter took the opportunity of asking our distinguished visitors a few questions. In reply to

the question as to whether she considered the average English woman would make as intelligent a voter as the average Englishman, Mrs Snowden said that (lass for (lass the English woman was quite as intelligent as the English man, in fact among the work ing cla.-s the women were more intelligent, as they had to bear the burden of expending the income and ‘'making both ends meet,” for politics rested largely upon a common sense basis. Asked in what degree the professions were open to women Mrs Snowden said that women could practise as do( tors. They could not enter the church, and could not practise as lawyers. They might pass the exams and take high legal degrees, but the profession would not allow them to practice. Mr Snowden (who for 2 years >at on the Royal Commission, enquiring into the C ivil Service, was* asked what opportunity women had of entering and rising in the Civil Service. He stated that many women were employed as typists, and in me (hanical branches, also there were women clerks in the General Post Office, in Money Order and Saving Bank branches, where they do accountants’ and clerks’ work. They commence at £(>o per annum and rise to and even some of them to /'IBO per annum. They are employed largely a> sub postmistresses and also as post mistresses, and receive up to £3OO per annum as salary, and even some towns of 1 s,(kk) inhabitants have women postmistresses. But the great (lerical bram h of the Civil Service is not open to them to any degree, and when there they are segregated, do not work with men or enter in the same way. Women are employed as Medical Officers and Inspectors under the Insurance Act, and some with spe< i.il qualifications are employed in British Museum and in other technical posts. The Royal Commission has made several recommendations in regard to equal pay for equal work, .rnd other matters which may tend to increase women’s opportunities to rise to more responsible posts.