Women’s Parliamentary Rights Bill

WELLINGTON: In the House of Representatives yesterday Mr Massey moved the second reading of the Women’s Parliamentary Rights Bill. He said the Bill had only one operative clause, removing the disability against women becoming candidates for Parliament and being elected if the electors so desired. He was always in favour of granting this privilege as soon as the women asked for it, and he thought the entrance of a number of good women into Parliament would have a steadying effect. Sir Joseph Ward said the war

had altered the whole aspect of the position so far as women were concerned, throughout the world, and more particularly in the Old Country. Mr Statham said he had previously opposed any legislation to admit women to Parliament, but now he repented of that view, and was prepared to support this Bill. Seeing that women had a vote in this country equally with men, there was no logical reason why they should not be admitted to Parliament.

Mr Holland said this was one of the rare occasions on which the Labour Party found itself in accord with a Government measure. A woman who contributed social service to the country was doing her duty equally with a man, and was equally entitled to a voice in the Government and in making wars. Mr Wright said that if women were admitted to Parliament, they would handle social questions in a way that men had never been able to do or cared to do. He suggested that there should be four additional seats

created — two in the North and two in the South Island — for which women only should be eligible. That would at once ensure the entry of at least four women into the House. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. Mr Massey asked the House to put it through all its stages and this was done in a few minutes.