PICTURESQUE SUFFRAGETTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 19 June 1909, Page 11

PICTURESQUE SUFFRAGETTES.

K The. English suffragettes made . a great when they learned how to 'make 'their s movement picturesque. There is-no denying.that in the early-days it was" a' grey, .colourless 'reform -lriovfcnieiit,- but ;ihe . new spirits:'-have;- invested' it ' with an ' amaziug amount ofi,colour'and Tomancb. .

Those delightfully- ingenious . spirits ' (says an writer)—the; militant,, suffragettes —-have,.been;'-hbldbg) i a'.bazaar--'or jrathprj-: ' ..''.Green;',White; arid Gold, Fete"—tncaw 'w-ing-.;t)iej'coloufs of-tho movement,' ; : 'Tho' in*' ventive-.'powers';of the : ardeiit young ' people; seem vto havo 'been: taxed to "the full. One corner',was. aixanged .to, represent,:a prison cell at' Holloway'. \ "Sixpence;" ■ and you could 'sbare for : t few moments .in- all the pain) ;arid penalties' of Hollow'ay. In another part of the ' grounds; exhibitions of Ju-Jitsu foats were shown. ' The•suffragettes' have discovered that a policeman can. be effectively. .handled by " toe smallest " woman by the aid of thiss-new 1 scienco. ' is to 'be .the -feature of .- the next raid upon the "House of -Commons.' There is. a particularly. deadly "throw" known , ';as - the

scissor.V Scotland Yard is ■ rumoured to be already trembling.- Most of the stallholders, including .Miss Ellen Torry,: who oppened the fete,; appeared in} fifteenthscentury costume. ■ Their headdress, was shaped . like a great;.pair.of 'ram's. horns, over l which ..a, long' white' veil was draped/ Kveryone' wondered why. It'-has.now.been,discovered that l inUhe'lMicentury English/ womanhood had' •&' very;good time. ,An.abbess',could'sit;in';the House' of. Lords... 'Women were , elected to; the/City Guilds. It would, therefore,' seem ithat : what the suffragists really want is uota revolution, bnt a reversion. ... The;'' Green, .'White, and Gold 'Fete" is not the only proof of the successful energy of ;lfa. Pankhurst and her co-workers:, The income ,of the National Women's Social and Political -Union has increased during; the past year from. £6000 to £20,000. The staff now numbers no fewer than 75. The circulation of "Votes for Women"—the organ of the society—is ,20,000 .copies' a week. There are not many, societies 1 of whom as much can bo said.