VOTES FOR WOMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 302, 18 December 1912, Page 5

VOTES FOR WOMEN.

RETURN OF LADY STOUT.

THE CAUSE BOUND TO SUOCEED

"Going like wildfire," is the report of Lady Stout concerning the progress of the movement in favour of women's suffrage in England. Her ladyship returned to New Zealand by the steamer Malwa this morning, after an absence of three years and nine months, in the course of which she took a prominent part in the suffragette campaign. Lady informed a representative of the "Star"' this morning that in her opinion the cause is bound to win out, for the reason that the strength of its current will be simply irresistible. "I hud hoped to «itne63 the procession of victory before leaving England," she remarked. "Perhaps you may be privileged to return for that." the interviewer observed. "Oh," came the answer, "[ hope it -will occur long before I am able to go to England again." Lady Stout explained that she remained , in England longer than was intended, owing to her daughter's education.

Asked how many women approximately had come into the movement in England, Lady Stout replied that at the -suffragette profession just before the Coronation 50,000 women took part. Each of these would represent from 20 to 30 other supporters, who had been unable to go to London cr who were engaged at the time in selling suffragette newspapers in fhe streets. "Yea," said Lady Stout, "women of ail stations sell these papers. V\ by, the first occasion on which I met Lady Constance Lytton she had , just came from a turn of paper selling on the streets." In the procession referred to Lady Stout headed the contingent of enfranchised women from New Zealand, and which was in a prominent position, and came in for excellent receptions on the line of march.

The returned New Zealander described the varying methods of the 30 suffragette leagues or societies which are struggling to bring about votes for women. She belongs to most of them herself, and in token thereof possesses some 15 different budges. This morning her Ladyship was wearing the brooch of the militant suffragettes—a neat little cross bar of purple, white, and green—at her throat, while on cither side of her blouse wore the badges of the National Union of .Suffragettes and of the Australian and New Zealand Leagues.

Some of the 30 suffragette bodies referred to are militant and some are not, but Lady Stout has been energetically helping them all. Did she think that militant tactics were of help to the movement? Of course she did, and in support of the contention that they put the suffragette clock forward mentioned that the week following the Bond Street window-breaking episode the sales of the "Votes for Women" newspaper increased by 8.000 copies. That was how the movement was growing. Differences in rank wei" cast aside when women awoke to a realisation of the justice of the cause, with .the result that in the processions titled ladi-es and factory girls marched side by side. The large bulk of members in England were composed of educated and thinking people, more especially of university stndcnts. There were numbers of ladies with claims to high rank and society who actively assisted the cause, and it was really surprising to note how readily people of thfc smarter set came over when once convinced of the good of the cause. In coming, too, some of them, even brought their diamonds to augment the funds. It wae estimated, said Lady Stout, that campaign funds were being raised at the rate of £120,000 per annum, and the contributions were growing all the time. Eventually their claims to participation in the franchise must be recognised by Parliament. Those claims were being' advanced too strongly to be resisted. Lauy Stout remarked that besides the female workers many men were coming into the movement, mid the wearing of suffragette badges was becoming quite fashionable. Once again her Ladyship advanced a sound belief in the ultimate triumph of the movement.