New-York tribune., 1902-12-14
WOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFE
In England They Are Important
Factors an the 4dminlst1-G-
ton of Ld7cS.

Mrs Percy Widdrington, the well known lecturer
Of the London Fabian Society who is IN tihS
city. spoke interestingly to s. tribune rep
resentat1ve yesterday in contrasting the different
attitudes OF American and f1ngIsh "oIiieh 'o"
ard work for the public welfare.
II find said she "a far larger proportion OF
women In America who intelligently Interested
in matters outside their personal aIla1rs fI'
the smaller number of English women who DO take
an interest in the public welfare make that inter
as+ directly effective through the government
find American women doing their Work through
voluntary organizations, and seeking 10 accom-
plish through these channels results which shoulo
he achieved through the government They seem
IN have a dislike a distrust and a dread OF the
government. a most extraordinary attitude TO an
English woman who, when she wishes TO insti-
tute any reform, goes straight TO governments
and political agencies. In TINS way. alllousH
fewer women are al work in England for social
tetterment their work is both more effective ana
more permanent. The attitude OF remoteness, a.
most of suspicion. of in this country tow
ard their government, is something that hhu
quite incomprehensible There is a curious de-
tachnent between them and all political ai1a1rs
which is unknown in England. 1t is almost as II
they were not citizens Of the country. as II they
were some foreign race.
WOMEN OF POSITION WORK
.zTitb Ms We never conceive Of the government
as heinp the business of only section OF the
population. We think Of it as belonging to the
whole people. and OF any. association with 1t as
distinctly honorable. There is not a campaign in
which women do take prominent part They
speak at political meetings, they canvass Tor po-
rtical candidates they work under the campaign
managers of the different parties and are rec
ognized factor in party success. No party would
ihinlx of goirg into q camraign without its Tomen
workers Sometimes these women are friends OF
oarrtdates Sometimes they are actuated by de-
sire for the success CT the party in whose princi-
ples they believe. The incest women tbs women
of highest position. DO this
1T is because Of their party affiliations and their
campaign work that English women able TO
secure the attention Of officials and statesmen 10
the measures which they desire. The form Of gov
ernrlerlt in England is in stereotyped- 1t
has been IN state Of huX throughout the last
century and as one branch after another was re
organized women have been recognized in the new
form Local government is carried with US by
means Of town councils. county councils. urban
rural district councils. parish councils, school
boards and boards OF guardians, the latter admin
istering the funds for poor relief Women vote for
members Of all these boards and eligible sit
upon all of them except town and county councils.
So that at present women have good deal to do
with administering the laws of England, though
they have nothing all do with making them,
having the parliamentary franchise
SERVICE ON SCHOOL BOARDS.
The British elector has always recognized the
Justice and expedency of placing the
school boards and he is always ready to return a
woman if she will offer herself as a candidate II
IS difficult 10 induce women to do this because Il
IS necessary for them TO address public meetings
and TO he able and ready TO answer questions of
which there is usually a plentiful supply. the
elector taking that time inform himself as 10
the conduct Of the schools. Therefore. women cam
didates for the school boards practically linn
ited to who able 10 speak in public. and
many women whose services would be valuable are
deferred by their inability in this regard. One
woman served for nine years on the London School
Board. This involved three elections each of which
necessitated much campaigning as a parla-
mentary election She represented a constituency
OF sixty thousand the same that represented by
the member OF Parliament from that district All
these voters had lie reached during the cam
paign. by Of public meetings and the dis
tribution Of literature. She addressed public meet
ings every night for weeks and during the last
days of the campaign spoke at three four meet
tngs each evening. Such campaigns are expensive
Her election expenses were at no time less thar
f2e and sometimes the expenses OF a school board
election run up to fl.0oo. This sum is supplied by
the candidates for the of halls the publica-
ton and distribution OF addresses printing of most
ers and the like. When she resolved not to stand
for fourth term. the Metropolitan Association OF
Board School Mstresses testified TO their apprecla
non by Offering TO bear her entire election er.
penses II she would consent 10 stand again
ONE THOUSAND AS GUARDIANS
About twenty-five years ago" continued Mrs
Widdrington. 1T began to dawn upon few women
that there great deal of wrong in the a6.
rinistration of the relief Dependent children
were housed in vast barracks q thousand in one
building These barracks were continually devas.
tatee by infectious diseases and no one thouob-
anything Of it. II accepted as a matter q,