RUSSIAN AND ITALIAN WOMEN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 430, 12 February 1909, Page 3

RUSSIAN AND ITALIAN WOMEN.

; In view of the. International Women's Suffrage' Congress, which ,is'to be, held -in London next April, it is more, than ordinarily desirable to study the trend of public opinion on the subject in other countries (says' the ■ 'Queen"). . The; scenes,of enthusiasm-' which • have' attended v the ; sessions -of :tbe Russian Women's Congress recently in St;. Petersburg show-what the : general: feeling is in ; that country, notwithstanding the fact that tho holding of a suffrage meeting was officially forbidden. ' Wo read that nearly a thousand women., enrolled- themselves as members ,of tho congress,; and that in opening tlue. deliberations the Mayor of St. Petersburg drew particular.. attention to the section , dealing with the political and civil status of Russian women, f \: V; ,;;.j:; i '■~T hej woraen, of, Italy, too, are . moving on apace.' The desire to. take part in tho movement, is being shown in Italy, as it has beeri in England,- by, women .who .. are already engaged in professions and trades. In Rome .a .meeting of business women has .been held to request- the. Senate to reinsert in. the Bill for the Reform of Chambers of Commerce tho clause, which-Would have conferred on women in "trade .the right, ?f voting-for, those bodies. A, right of tllis nature-is possessed' by.women in - Germany ■ arid Austria, and'' it' is- pointed out that 30 per cent, of those engaged in commorco in Italy are women and girls. / '■ / -The I ;ltalian Government: has : under • consideration the drafting of.a. Women's Suffrage Bill. - "