BRITISH FRANCHISE

Evening Star, Issue 16194, 16 August 1916, Page 6

BRITISH FRANCHISE

WAR BRINGING CHANGES. WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE. MR ASQUITH CONVERTED. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, August 14. In the House of Commons, Mr Asquith, in introducing the Parliament and Local Elections Bill, said it was impossible, under war circumstances, to do more than construct a rough makeshift. The war had caused the greatest dislocation of population in history, not only regarding soldiers abroad, but war workers at home. Everyone agreed that a General Election at present was unthinkable. Moreover, the munition workers’ claims pould not be overlooked, but tbeso claims brought them face to face with the women’s claims. He was bound to say that he found their representations unanswerable. The women were willing to abide by the existing conditions, but if new classes were enfranchised for services to the State, it was impossible to deny the women’s claim that they had rendered as effective services as any class. They also would have a special claim to be hoard in after-the-war questions. He had been a life-long opponent of women’s suffrage, but he could not deny these claims. Nothing would be more injurious to them than reopening such complicated questions.

The Government proposed, in order to provide for the exceptional conditions of the period, that the qualification should be postponed to November 1. enabling the new register to come into operation next May. All soldiers, sailors, and war workers on the existing register would bo placed on the new register. He concluded by saying that at a time when the war had reached a happy and promising stage, requiring absolute concentration, the Government were unanimous in saying that it was impossible to consider the larger questions involved in a revision of the franchise. &'r_ E. Carson agreed that a General Election at the present was impossible, but they ought to have a register ready. An eight months’ extension was too long, ■the enfranchisement of soldiers , and sailors did, not involve greater difficulties than the Government’s proposals, and the Government were doing them a grave injustice. Women’s suffrage stood in a different category. He recognised that we had arrived at a critical stage of the war when we could anticipate happy developments m the near future, and he was anxious to have a register enabling the country to express its views upon the critical aftor-Avar problems.