BRITISH COMMONWEALTH.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 10 July 1925, Page 9

BRITISH COMMONWEALTH.

4. EQUALITY OF POLITICAL POWER. AN EMPIRE CONFERENCE. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION-COPYRIGHT Received July 10, 12.50 p.m. LONDON, July 9. Viscount Cecil, of Caxton Hall, opened the first conference of the British Commonwealth League, formed to secure equality of men and women o the British Commonwealth. All the Dominions were represented. Mrs. Corbett Ashby presided. Viscount Cecil spoke on the basis ot consultation on Imperial policy, with special reference to the political power of women citizens. He contended that the League of Nations had proved a unitino- influence in the Empire ; everyone bad been impressed with the friendliness and smoothness with which arrangements had worked, so far as the British Emnire wa s concerned. Foreign States were justified in regarding the Empire as one whole. . The representatives of South Africa, India, and New Zealand participated in the morning’s discussion on pontica'l equality, which Miss Wilson. M.P., introduced. The New Zealander, Miss Kane, gave a .somewhat gloomy account of womens franchise in New Zealand, alluding to the apathy of women, also the lack of co-operation. —Reuter.