WOMEN’S FRANCHISE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 26, 29 January 1913, Page 8

WOMEN’S FRANCHISE.

SUFFRAGETTES NOT SATISFIED. A NEW BILL. FURTHER ARRESTS. (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) • United Press Association.) Loudon, January 28. The Government v.ill no; adopt Mr. Harold Laker’s Bill, but will introduce a new measure next session dealing with registration, plura.Ly and redistribution. The National Union of Women’s Suffrage declare that a private Bill is inadequate, and only a Government measure will be accepted. A meeting of the Women’s Social Union demanded Mr. Lloyd George’s and Sir E. Grey’s resignations unless they compelled the Cabinet to introduce a Bill. Mrs. Pankhurst urged the fullest militancy short of injury to human life. At a meeting of the Women’s Freedom League Mrs. Despard advocated law-breaking in every way. Miss Sylvia Pankhurst has been arrested for an outrage at St. Stephen’s, and Mrs. Despard has been arrested as the outcome of the Trafalgar Square melee. A LEGISLATIVE MUDDLE. Mr. Asquith obtained tho Speaker’s ruling that the Government’s own amendments made substantially a new Bill of the original measure, which did not purport to introduce a new class of elector. Mr. Asquith therefore declared that it became a question whether the Government would proceed with a Bill adding two million maids. He thought that in fairness to the women it should be dropped. Only two courses remained—Either the Government must introduce women’s suffrage, which it could not do, or grant facili-' ties for a private Bill. Mr. Bonar Law absolved tho Government from evading its pledges to the women. Ho thought that the suffragist cause would have a fairer opportunity with an independent Bid. II regretted tho collapse which deprived Mr. Lloyd George from replying to Mr. Harcourt. Sir. F. Smith suggested that tho suffragist supporters should form committees on the Bill to act as a temporary executive and pilot it throughwhile its opponents could similarly con stitute a temporary opposition. Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. Balfour approved of the suggestion, leaving Ministers to follow their convictions. Tho Labourites demand a Government measure.

WOMEN ON THE JURY. New York, January 28. A debate in the Colorado State Legislature, making women liable to serve on juries, raised an uproar. Senatoi Williams attacked the proposal as immoral. Ho said ho would hate to see ids wife or daughter compelled to listen to criminal cases or locked in a juryroom with male jurors for several nights. Women suffragists resent Senator Williams’ remarks. WRITERS ON WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE. The Women Writers’ Suffrage Lea gue, in holding an “at home” at tin Knightsbridgo Palace Hotel, London last month, in honour of their ncv president, Mrs Flora Annie Steel, hi on the happy idea (says the “Queen”, of getting some dozen or so well-known writers each to enunciate his or lid credo on the question of the age. Mrs Steel herself said this struggle for enfranchisement was the greatest battle ever fought. It was a battle not only for political power, but foi that franchise which Eve lost long ago Boldly declaring herself to bo an oh. woman, Mrs Steel went on to say there were many problems of life which slu thought could be better solved by tin old women than by the young men o! England. it was because men failed to realise that women had a different outlook on life from them that the vote had so long been denied to women. It was the twofold view ol the man and the woman that brought things into their right focus, as the two eyes looking into a stereoscope gave to images their form and their dimension. She recounted an amusing dialogue which she had held with her grandson, a little follow of throe who was already firmly persuaded that bis sex gave him great advantages, mental and physical, over females ol every ago or eminence.

Mme. Sarah Grandesaid the question, “Why am I a suffragist P” was one she only asked herself when she was not in good humour with other suffragists. Her answer to it was that this country was the home of English women, and all that concerned the country must be of vital interest to them. Politics was housekeeping on a large scale —housekeeping that at present was not. well managed. A man left to keep house alone was apt to let- things slide, and to expect to be imposed uj>on. The Government might he likened to a selfish bachelor keeping house without a woman’s help. Nothing was done punctually; there was waste and extravagance; his servants ■ were not well housed, well fed, or well paid. When ho invoked the hoi]) of a woman ho refused to treat her as an equal or to give her a legitimate position as bio wife. Mrs Belloc Lowndes said sbo was a suffragist to begin with because her mother Mine. Belloc) was one of tiiosi who, together with Florence Nightingale and Harriet Martineau, signed tne first woman’s suffrage petition ; but she was also a suffragist because woman’s enfranchisement w;>« ter of elementary justice, and because under the system m party goveriiim m those who had no votes could not have their wishes represented by members

of Parliament. For example, she had been assured there was little expectation of the recommendations ui ujc invoice Commission being put into effect, because xe.v men voters would press iur legislation o. uus Kind. Mr i*c thick Laurence warned his hearers against false friends. nr a. u. uaruiiier encouraged tne meeting by saying that lie took an optimistic view of their cause when he considered the enormous progress it had made during the last Ju years. He was a bciiever in freedom and in equalily in condition and opportunity. Citizenship took no account of sex in regard to taxation, and it should-not do so in regard to legislation. Mr H. W. Nevinson, lately returned from the Balkans, made a lighting speech, in the course of which lie sam lie hated people who enthused about liberty in the Balkan States and were deaf to the cry for it at their doors. He bated, too, the habits of the “coaxing cat," and when he was told that a woman could twist a man round her little huger he could only say he objected greatly to tho twisting process. Mr Zangwill, Mr Richard Whiteing, Dr. Stanton Colt, Miss Beatrice Hanaden, Sir John Cock burn, Mr Keightley Snowden who lias investigated the deplorably ill-paid industry of women in the hollow-ware trade), Mrs Bailiit Reynolds, Rev. Hugh Chapman, anc Mrs Sarah Tooley wore also included in the long list of eloquent writers on tho occasion.