The Dominion. THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1912. THE WOMAN SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1328, 4 January 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1912. THE WOMAN SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT.

Although few people, men or women, in New Zealand have any ardent sympathy with the methods of the Woman Suffrage movement in Great Britain, yet as this is the home of the broadest possible kind of adult suffrage, that movement has a special interest for New Zcalanders. It has now reached a-critical stage, and the friends of the innovation are divided between confi : dence and despair as to the prospects of success this year. The great stumbling block in the way of the Suffragistsis the deep and unalterable hostility of Mr. Asquith and a few of his colleagues to the principle that women should have votes. It is no aid to the Suffragist movement that the great majority,of the members of the Ministry, are" willing to give votes to women and ever keenly desirous of doing so, or that there has for several years been a majority in tho House of Commons in favour of the principle. • When, after some years of "militant" tactics, the Suffragists succeeded- in haying a "Conciliation Bill" drafted that only required, in order to become law, that the .Government should grant facilities for its passage, the way seemed clear for a .successful issue of the campaign. The question was shelved, however', by the urgency of the constitutional crisis. On October 7 last Mn. Asquitk announced tho .Government's intention to introduce a Manhood Suffrage Bill in .1912, and, as I'o/cs for Women puts it, "this completely changed the whole situation. In the first place," it went on, "by introducing a party measure of franchise reform, Mu. Asquith destroyed the possibility of securing a non-party "solution of Woman Suffrage. In the second place, bv changing tho'quantisation for the male suffrage, from a limited to an unlimited basis, he made it impossible for women to accept the Conciliation Bill as a satisfactory settlement of their claim for "equal franchise rights . for men and women.'*'

A'deputation representative of all Ihc Woman Suffrage Societies waited on Mr. Asquith and Mb. LloydGkokge on November 17 last in order to discover the Government's exact intentions. The Prime: Minister was told quite plainly that ho was suspected of wishing to defeat the women by trickery. Mit. Asquith, in reply to three questions ' from Mns. Fawcett, stated definitely that .it is the Government's intention to put the Manhood Suffrage Bill through all its stages, that the Bill will he drafted in such a way as to admit of any amendments introducing women on other terms than men, and that the Government will undertake not to oppose such amendments. The, ladies argue that this means disaster to their hopes, for reasons stated by the Times in terms of which the Women's Social and Political Union approve:

Woman Suffrage is not a party question; it cuts across tho regular party lines, as Mr. ■Asquith said; and the support which ha* enabled it repealwlly to secure a majority in the House of Commons is drawn from all sides. But the Government propose to bring in a Reform Bill, which will he "an out-and-out party measure. If they included Woman Suffrage in the Bill it might perhaps command the whole, forces at the back of the Government; but they are not going to do that. They are going to let it bo included as an amendment if the House chooses to have it. But in order to secure its adoption nS a non-party free amende nicnt, support would bo required from the Opposition, which would be expecting them to treat a party measuro as a non-party one. It would fall between two stools. Conservative supporters would bo alienated and no pressure would bo put on the Ministerial sido to make up for them. If, on the other hand, the matter is left, which tho National Union suggests as an alternative, to bo dealt with in the form of tho Conciliation Bill, it will not have tho smallest chance of serious consideration. The way will bo blocked by the Reform Bill.

The Liberal papers have been busy rebuking the sceptical ladies, but these remain unrepentant. They will not listen to the suggestion that the amendment, a road for which will be left open by the Government, and which some of the Liberal papers declare will be moved by either Sir Edward Grey or Mr. Lloyd-George, can _ possibly be carried; and at this distance they seem to be justified in their suspicion. In the meantime they have reverted to the old tactics of breaking windows —not Mr. Asquith's windows only, but everybody's and anybody's windows. The Government's position is extremely curious. Mr. Asquitii, who is finite irreconcilable to Woman Suffrage "of any sort or kind," to quote a favourite phrase of his, had to answer two questions. The first was, Why does not the Government adopt Woman Suffrage as a Government measure? The second was, How can he justify the retention of ofiice by a _ Ministry sharply divided on this important issue? For it is an issue, and it. is important. _ To the first question the answer is easy. "If you ask nip. why T won't [introduce a Woman Suffrage Bill]," he said. "1 tell v_ou

once more. I am the head of the Government, and I am not going to make myself responsible for the introduction of a measure which I do not conscientiously believe to be demanded in the interests of the country." The second question Mn. AsQumr cannot answer satisfactorily at all. He and some of his colleagues arc hopelessly opposed to Woman Suffrage; others of his colleagues publicly aid the campaign in favour of it. Voles for Women has recalled a statement by Mn. Asquint in 1903, prior to Mu. Chamberlain's resignation on the fiscal issue. Mn. Asquith. said then:

It is not only without precedent or example, it is an entire departure from the traditions and rule? of our public life that, in a matter of this kind and of this importance, responsible Ministers should be allowed, not merely to emit on public platforms discordant opinions, but to pose as propagandists of two whollv irreconcilable views of the. public polfcv.

Minor differences on big questions, or vital differences on questions not vital, arc, of course, expected and permitted in every Ministry. But here we have vital differences on a vital question. Only one thing seems certain, that so long as Mn. Asquith, with his_ great weight, and strength and tactical power, is in charge of affairs, the ladies may go on breaking windows in vain.