THE FULL CITIZENSHIP OF WOMEN.

White Ribbon, Volume 20, Issue 239, 18 May 1915, Page 12

THE FULL CITIZENSHIP OF WOMEN.

In making the claim for full citizenship woman takes her stand with every human being who seeks for equality of opportunity. We claim that no further limitations be placed on our spheres of work than are placed on the occupations of men. The woman’s own choice, and her fitness for the work should be the deciding factors. If she makes a wrong choice she w ill suf fer, but the wider the opportunity given to all human beings—men or women —the less is the likelihood of a w tong choice being made. Ihe argument in favour of this experience of privilege is well put by John Stuart Mills, lie says:—* “Is there so great a superfluity of men fit for high duties, that so< iety can afford to reject the service of any competent person Are we so certain of always finding a man made to our hands for any duty or function of social importance which falls vacant, that we lose nothing by putting a ban upon one half of mankind, and refusing beforehand to make ..heir fatuities available, however distinguished they may be? And even if ve could do without them, would it consistent with justice to refuse them their fair share of honour and distinction, or to deny to them the equal moral right of all human being> to choose their occupation tshort of injury to others 1 according to their own preferences, at their own risk ? Nor is the injustice c onfined to them; it is shared bv those who are in a position to benefit by their services. To ordain that any kind of person shall not be physicians, or shall not be advocates, or shall not be members of Parliament is to injure not them only, but all who employ physicians and advocates. or elect members of Parliamt nt, and who arc deprived of the* stimulating effect of greater competition on the exertions of the competitors, as well as restricted to a narrower range of choice.”

Woman has definitely and permanently entered the; arena of polities Fourteen out of forty-eight of the Tinted States of America have adopted Woman Suffrage. This represents an area continental in extent almost equal to Kurope, and includes the cities of New York and San Francisco. Hut le t us come nearer home and listen 10 the testimony of the Statesmen of Australia, who, in resolution, passed bv both Houses of the Commonwealth Parliament in 1910, placed on record their opinion of the good ef feet of Woman Suffrage throughout the C 'tinent. “That this House (and Senate) i> of the opinion that the extension of the Suffrage to the* V. omen of Australia for States and Commonwealth Parliaments on the *a’-ie terms a* men, has had the most bene fi< ial results. It has Ic'd to the mere orderly conduct of elections, anj at the last Federal Flections, the woman’s vote, in a majority of the States, showed a greater proportionate increase than that c ast by men. It has given a greater prominence to legislation particularly affecting women and children, although the' women have not taken up such questions to the* e\c lusion of others of wider significance. In matters of Defence and Imperial concern, they have proved themselves as far-seeing and discriminating as men. Because* the reform has brought nothing but good, though disaster was freely prophesied, wc respectfully urge that all nations enjoying n presontative government would be w II advised in granting votes to women.” Austr ilia was the first nation to grant women the right to sit in Parliament. The women of New Zealand since their enfranchisement in 1593 have secured. amongst mher reforms equal divorce laws, a legal claim upon *he property of the husband by the wife and child (previously a husband had the power to will to a stranger all the property, even when the wife had helped to secure it). The opening of the

profession of the law to women. Focal and National Veto of the Liquor Traf tic. The closing of the Hotel Bais on Election Day, and the raising of tne Ago of Consent. The Australian State's, with the help of the women’s vote, have accomplished similar ie* forms, while in America every business and profession is open to women, not excluding that of the preacher. Women In Public Offices. In the old country, in every posi lion open to them, women have proved tlit-tr efficiency. In Poor Law administration Miss Twining has effected many reforms, notably the appointment of visiting ccmmittes to workhouses, prior to which poor patients were tended by ignorant fellow-paup-ers. Miss Flora Stevenson, as Chairman of the Edinburgh School Board, and Counc illor Margaret Ashton, member of the Manchester City Council, have both done good service for education. The latter has also been instrumental in procuring municipal lodging-houses for women, and the payment of a living wage for municipal women servant.**. The Home* Office has appointed a lady inspector of Prisons, and a lady sub-inspector oi Industrial S< hool>. Six women probation officers work the* Juvenile Courts in London. Under the Education Committee there are 25 women Inspectors of Education, and for the Education Committe of every education authority the law provides that a certain proportion shall be women. The London County Council has appointed women to serve as Inspectors under its Education, Public Health, and Public Control Department. Miss Philippa Fawcett is Principal Director in the Higher Education Branch of the Hdu cation Department. Two women hold posts as Inspectors under the Midwives’ Act; seven under the Infants' Life Protection Act, and three under the Shops’ Act. Since 1909 the power was granted to Sanitary Authorities to appoint Health Visitors, who instruct poor people in the nurture, care,

and management of voung children Such Health Visitors have also been appointed in Durham, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Leicestershire. There are women Sanitary Inspectors in twenty-three out of the twenty-seven Metropolitan Boroughs, and four women School Attendance Officers have been appointed. Under the recent Insurance Act women hold positions as insurance Commissioners at ,£IOOO per annum, an instalment, we hope, of the general establishment of the principle of Equal Pay for Equal Work. Several women have from time to time sat as members of Koval Commissions and Departmental Committees. These are not salaried post*, but arc offices of high honour, to which appointments are made by tin* King and the Secretarv of State. Expert knowledge is required to fulfil the work. Local Ccvtrmr.en.' In New Zealand women have done useful work on School Committees and Charitable Aid Boards. Before their advent into the former of these two spheres, school-committeemen ire qucntly averred there was not enough work for a committee to do and oecas•onailv filled in the time of meeting discussing sheep and crops. The u*efulnes> of women on other public bod ics is limited bv legal restriction* In the United Kingdom, where the nualification of an elector, and the duties of the elected, vary in different areas, local government is not v'asy to describe. I make mention of it nero to show how easily hard-won privileges may be lost when those concerned are denied self-government, and al>o to show that by entering the honourable estate of matrimony a woman may place herself under a legal disability, in company with the minor the lunatic, and the idiot. The women electors of England and Wales have the right of election to Boards of Guardians, anil to Parish Kural and Urban Councils, but except in London > they are disqualified bv marriage from election to Town and County Councils Previous to 1894 a woman might vote in virtue of ownership of property for Poor Law Guardians, but under the Local Government Act of 1894 she no longei has the right to do so. W hile women may vote in certain local government elections, a married woman may not vote as a joint occupier. She may vote ir respect of a different property to the

one in respect of which her husband records his vote, but no woman is nowentitled to vote in virtue of her individual ownership in any election. In this matter of local government, Scotland and Ireland are in advance of Eaigland as regards women electors, and in Scotland marriage is no di>qualincation to the woman candidate. Throughout Great Britain are several women serving in Town and County, Borough, Rural and Urban District Councils, but thev mav not vote nor be elected to the City cf London Council. The London County Council. The London Count) Council Act was passed in iS»SB, and three women, Lady Sandhurst, Miss Cobden. and Miss Cons were, by the intention of the voters, elected, hut Mr Beresf< rd Hope, candidate for Brixton, who was defeated by Lady Sandhurst, petitioned against her election on ihe Mile ground that she was a woman. The Court of Queen’s Bench decided in his favour. Leave was given to appeal. Lord Coleridge presided in the C ourt of Appeal, and with him sat five colleagues. The women based their appeal upon three Acts: Ist, Lord Brougham’s Act of 1851, which provided that words importing the masculine gender shall he held to include the feminine unless the contrary is expressly provided. 2nd, The Municipal Corporations’ Act, 1882, which contained the following clauses, sec. 03, ‘TV.r all purposes connected with, and having reference to the right to vote .it Municipal Ejections words in thi> A< t imputing the masculine gender include women.” 3rd, Sec. 11.3. “Every person shall be qualified to be elected and to be a councillor who is at the time of election qualified to elect to the office of councillor.” In 1888 the County Councils’ Act incorporated these two sections of the Municipal Corporations’ Act. Notwithstanding this the appeal o f the women was dismissed, all the judges agreeing that the Municipal Corporations’ Act by specifically stating that feminine applied only in regard to the right to vote implied that in bu. ing voted for women were not eligible. Thus an Act of Parliament, and the portion of the Municipal Act favourable to the women were overridden It is only since the Qualifying Act of IQO7, that the right to be elected to a County Council as well a* to vote has been held by women.

Again in ißi>() a number of women lost their seats on Vestries and School Boards. In that year the London Government Act was passed. This created a number of Boroughs in London to take the place of Vestries. Women who, up to that time, had sat on Vestries now became ineligible as they were not qualified to sit on Borougfis at the time the Act was passed. Again in iqoj. by the abolition of School Boards, and the substitution o f Education Authorities, which were to be Committees of the County or Borough Councils, women, though eligible for S< hool Boards, were ineligible for the new education Authorities, and were again put out ot positions, in which they w ere acknowledged to have done good service. If women had sat in Parliament during the framing of these laws these injustices would not have been allowed to pass. (To be Corn luded.)