Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-07
LADY WARD ON HER SEX.
Says New Zealand Women Are Femi-
nine Though They Vote

The women of New Zealand are very
feminine,"s according to Lady Ward, wife
of the prime minister of the country where
women have voted for ten twelve years.
They are noted for their good dressing, it
seems, are very fond of their homes and
have no desire to speak In meeting.
Sometimes women do speak at political
meetings. declared Lady Ward TO a New
York Tribune reporter yesterday, but it
generally turns out afterward that they
were visiting Americans or perhaps English
women. No, we don't sit on turies and we
don't run for parliament The law would
have to be changed before we could do so,
but / don't believe we want to. Perhaps
sometime in the future it will come to that
but I think it will be long time We did
have mayoress once in town in the
northern part of the colony, but one
seems inclined to repeat the experiment. In
fact, we are very busy with our domestic
affairs and are quite content for the pres
ent to leave the management OF public at
fairs to the men. The women of New Zea-
land place their homes before every other
consideration and their domestic problems
are just as serious as those of any other
country. Our young women would rather
be stenographers than domestic servants.
and we haven't found any way of getting
on without servants.
But don't imagine that we Are not inter
ested in politics and that we don't vote.
There isn't woman In New Zealand who
doesn't known every member of parliament
either by sight or by reputation; and there
isn't once who can't talk inteiligentiy about
political questions. Out on the farms and
in the villages it is Just the same in the
cities, and 1t makes life ever so much more
interesting. No matter whom you meet
you will always find one subject of COM
mon interest. People here don't seem to be
much interested in politics, and even your
men don't vote, am told. Isn't II strange?
Perhaps 1t is because our country is small
er that we take 30 much more interest in
its affairs.
Our elections are most interesting events,
and the women do great deal of election
eering just as they do in England. But
they don't do much speechmaking. except
among themselves Political afternoon teas
are favorite method Of winning over
doubtful women voters.
What becomes of the babies when the
mothers are out electioneering? Why, /
really don't know. suppose there is al
ways some kind-hearted woman to take
care OF them. Perhaps the women take
care of one another's babies / never heard
of any difficulties of that kind.
do the native women vote? Yes, GER
tainiy. Every woman over twenty-one
votes. The only qualification Is residence
of twelve moHths In the colony and three
months In the electorate where the vote is
cast The native women take just as much
interest in politics as the white women,
and are thoroughly well posted in every
thing concerning native affairs. We have
an aboriginal population OF 10000. and they
have their own representatives in parlia-
ment"
The reason that the women of New Zea-
land have so much time for politics IL. per-
haps, because they do not have to carry
ouch burden OF philanthropic work as the
women OF less favored lands. Lady Ward
did her best to think OF the charities in
which her countrywomen were interested.
but all she could recall was q veterans
home for old soldiers and some Orphans
homes. The women give baxaars for these
objects sometimes. but a. they are subsi-
dixed by the state the task OF supporting
them does not seem to be q specially ar
duous one. Then there Is navy league. a
aims to interest the youth of the country
In the navy. and which endeavors to make
things pleasant for the ofacers and men of