WOMEN'S FEDERATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 19, 14 September 1912, Page 5

WOMEN'S FEDERATION.

MR. CHURCHILL'S VIEW'S. (By Electric Telegraph.-—Copyright.) (United Tress Association ) London, September 13. -Mr Churchill, speaking at Dundee, at the Women's Liberal Federation, was much interrupted by suffragists, who were ejected. One tied herself tc the railing of the balcony, Mr Churchill outlined a scheme of Federal Home Rule. There was no difficult} in Scotland and Wales, but very real difficulty in England. So great wai the populace, that an English Parliament, whatever its functions and limitations, would be almost as powerful as an Imperial one. If there was a divergence of feeling or policy between the English and the Imperial Parliaments, or a quarrel between these tremendously powerful bodies, the State might be torn in half and bring great evils upon all. If it was desirable to work up a federal system, we inns', face the task of dividing England up into several self-governing areas. Lancashire, Yorkshire, the Midlands and London were instances of convenienl legislative units. He had no hesitation in saying that larger units o. local government would be of great ad vantage. I hey would afford a largo. sphere than is open at present foi

the activities of women. He was noi in the least disturbed by the pros pect of seeing at least ten or t\velv< separate legislative bodies elected f'o: the discharge of functions entrustec to the Imperial Parliament. The ere ation of a federal system in the I'nitet Kingdom would be an immense task but each part would be better lookec alter. Public life would become richer, administration more sympathetic and searching, and the central parlia ment be relieved of a vast oppressive burden. There would be more leis ure for attending to the foreign am colonial policy. The United State, bad a great many parliaments, an< Germany had separate kingdoms, prin cipalities and armies woven into ; strong federation. Canada, Soutl Africa and Australia found the fedeni system the only way to reconcile gen oral interests. 'An organised state with a special development of eac.' part of ; t, would be another step tr wards that closer union of the ove r seas dominions. He put the majl tor forward, not as an indication o the Government's policy, but to briti. forward a question to which many po litical issues were moving. The set tlement of the Irish quarrel was : vital and indispensable preliminary t a larger reconstruction.

The speech was too late-for genera criticism by the newspapers elsewhere Mr Churchill stated that the Govern meat's policy on land reform would I. announced later. It was not one o confiscation, but a sober one Justine. by economic arguments and altera tions.

OPINIONS FROM THE PRESS

DOUBTFUL PRACTICABILIH

Loudon, September 13

The Westminster Gazette is startle at the kit a of Lancashire and York shire Parliaments. The speech wi draw attention to the Federal questio ■ven it the suggestions are of doubt u practicability. The Pall Mall Gazette says Mi 1 Chu chill would give Lancashire and Yorl shire separate parliaments owing t differing standpoints, yet would for; Ulster's into the arms of an Irelai; differing from her in race, religion an economic progress.