The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21

subject to the MdHn. Among other things
he says
"since October. 1909. the women OF Nor
way have elected their Deputies TO the
Storthing. A few years before that they
obtained the right to vote in municipal
elections. a project which the late Paul
Dussaussoy, Deputy for Calais. sought to
accord to French women. Every woman
In Norway II she IS IS years old aud has
paid the tax on a minimum revenue OF 200
crowns tS56) year In the country dis
tricts or 400 crowns Sll2) in the cities,
Is eligible 10 vote and 20 hold office. The
wife OF a man who votes has the same
privileges.
"ln 1909 when I was in Norway for the
first elections az which women took part
the municipal council OF Christiania had
seven women Councillors, who were either
Conservatives or Socialists, NJ. Berg.
president OF the municipal council, said
that he and all his colleagues were per-
fectly satisfied with the cooperation OF the
women Councillors. Women are generally
accused OF talking too much when they
get together he said, hut our councillors
on the contrary appear very timd. and II
is very seldom that We hear from them In
public
since 1909 Norway has had one woman
Deputy. Nine. Anna Rosstad, school
| teacher in Christiania. l heard her an
nounce her political programme at Chris
| tiania. Among other things IL included
| the development Of private Initiative, IA
reaction against the initiative OF the State,
which was the tendency OF the radical
socialist government extension OF the po-
| litical rights OF women and criticism OF a
| too rigid control OF the commerce Of al
coho and wines,
There were absolutely no Incidents 20
mar the first election day for women.
Revolutions In Norway are quiet affairs
and one has not yet forgotten how quietly
Norway separated herself from sweden.
| II was with the same calm that the Nor
wegian women knew for the first time
the Joys OF the voting booth and the
sealed ballot At that time the styles
demanded very large hat All the
women were wearing them, but unfore-
seeing man had neglected 10 enlarge the
voting booths and as woman tried "a
step into n booth her hat caught on tho
sides. But all neglecting man had not
forgotten his gailantry and the 'vo,ress
was aided to take on her hat, which she
! laid aside until the delicate operation oil
settling questions OF state was finished.
''Oid couples and young couples arm
In arm went to the polls, happy In the
thought that they would not be sepa-
rated even In accomplishing their duties
toward the state. No one seemed sur
prised at the turn OF events and It Is
certain that the Norweglans regarded thu
woman voter Ms nothing unusual.
''The elections In Norway last for Q
month. for the country, with its fjords
its distant districts, like Finmark is no
centralized like France, There are som,
people In Norway for whom the right I,
vote means n trip of several days acrosi
the Ice and snow, learned that tn
women marked their entry into the poll
tical arena by giving majority TO thu
Right and Liberal Left. One OF tn
Cabinet Ministers In commenting upor
this situation said:
~ believe that the vote of the womer
can be of profit only 10 the extreme par
ties, the Right or the Socialists. Whei
j voted for woman's political rights
realized that was voting against IN.
party. But we all did what seemed to u
to be our duty"