Watching Her Step

Watching Her Step
From the Toronto Star
Ottawa, March 31—Agnes McPhall, M.P., has a mind of her own. She won't be whipped into line at the crack of any party interest, vested or vestless. She proved that she is thoroughly independent when the first division of the new parliament was taken. "If I could have had my way every member of the Progressive party would have left the chamber when the vote was taken," she remarked to me this morning. Instead of every Progressive marching out, every man of the party voted with the government.
"I love politics as a game," continued Miss McPhail: "The tragedy is that the game went too far at the expense of the people of the country. I know that parties do not stand on their pre-election platforms once they get into power. If the Laurier regime of 1806 did not prove to us that the Liberals did not implement their pre-election pledges, then witness the Borden government of 1911, which was elected on the cry of 'no truck nor trade with the Yankees'—and then proceeded to introduce free wheat and free flour—although the party had asserted that these were the very keystone of the protection arch."
"I am not going to be rushed into lobbying for anybody's pet schemes," asserted Miss McPhail. "While I believe in temperance and prohibition personally, I won't be lobbied into introducing deputations who would make the country bone dry whether the people want it so or not. The will of the people must prevail."
To meet Agnes McPhail in her little private office on the sixth floor of the House of Commons and chat with her as woman to woman, is a delightful experience. She has made her room quite homelike with growing plants. The members have a certain discretion in choosing the furnishings for their quarters—they may select them from the rugs and furnishings on hand. Miss McPhail's choice can be taken as an index of her quiet good taste. The furniture is substantial oak of the early English finish, and the rug of rich brown tones harmonizes with it. There ate dainty curtains and flowers in radiant bloom which indicate the feminine occupant.
This pioneer of the federal parliament dresses as any other smart business man of the present day. She favors dark cloth frocks on tailored lines. Sometimes when she is going out to tea she brightens up the gothic chamber with a dash of flame color. She detests wearing a hat—says that she cannot think properly with a chapeau pressing on her brains. She has never appeared in the House with her head covered. Thus she is always in a position to catch Mr. Speaker's eye without a moment's delay.
"I follow every word that Arthur Meighen utters, with rapt attention,"' said Miss McPhail. "He always knows what he is talking about, and I always learn something when he speaks. Before I came to Ottawa I was enveloped in a sort of awe of the great men I believed sat in the Commons—but after three short weeks that haze has almost lifted. I find that there are only a small hand-full in the whole House who know anything about our constitution.["] Miss McPhail takes the position that she does not represent the women of Canada in the Canadian parliament. She represents the men, women and children of Southeast Grey, which is her constituency. "There wasn't a single woman delegate at the convention which nominated me as Progressive candidate. There were eleven nominees, and I won out. It would be a be ungrateful for me to say I represent only women and children and forget the men of Southeast Grey," she remarked with a smile.
Naturally because she happens to be the first woman in the house she intends to be more than usually careful not to do anything that might prejudice the chances of other women being elected. She does not regard herself as an anomaly. One of her greatest sources of satisfaction lies in the fact that the men of the Progressive party come and consult her as a member, not as a woman, whenever questions of policy are vexing their souls.
Agnes McPhail M. P., has no hankering for the social spotlight. She holds social affairs as social affairs in light regard, but if gatherings afford her opportunity to meet Interesting people and have a worthwhile chat she enjoyed them thoroughly. She is an exceedingly busy woman—for her day seldom ends before midnight, and she is in her office at ten o'clock, every morning. Her mail, her personal callers and her telephone callers keep her on the jump until three o'clock when the house sits.
Miss McPhail shares an apartment in the Queen Mary Apartments with Mrs. Quaig, who is chief of the senatorial stenographical staff. They do their own house work—whoever gets in first puts the kettle on and sets the table. About the only recreation Miss McPhail has had time to indulge in since coming to the capital is walking. The evening sessions of the House prevent the members from attending the theatre.