Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, MONDAY, DEC. 5, 1932.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17954, 5 December 1932, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, MONDAY, DEC. 5, 1932.

HOME RULE EOR SCOTLAND Brief reference was made in out cable news the other day to the possibility of the Means-Test Bill, passed by the British Parliament, stimulating the movement for self-government in Scotland. Such a movement, we arc assured by a Scottish journalist, writing in the London Daily Telegraph, definitely exists aud is being more potently energised than tit any time in the past. Three distinct groups with differing aims and objects tire concerned in it —(1) The Direct Actionists,

containing ex-members of the National party, who, out for complete Scottish sovereignty without the slightest

qualification, are revolutionary in their propaganda. So far their numbers are negligible. (2) The National party, whose aim is to break up the British state ns created by the Act of Union in 1707, and separate from England while remaining within the Empire. (.’!) The Moderates, who have now adopted the principles of a selfgovernment bill, one object of which .is to reserve to the present British Parliament, or any future body in place thereof, such things as succession to the Crown, peace and war, defence forces and foreign affairs, while attaining better government for Scotland. The Moderates wish to relievo the congestion, of business in the present British Parliament and to concentrate on Scottish home affairs—a desire that appears to be quite reasonable and with which we in the selfgoverning dominions can fully sympathise. One of the main incentives of the movement has been the cultural urge, which has feverishly sought a revival' of Scotland's old customs, symbols, and festivals and the fostering of its indigenous tongues—the Lowland vernacular and the Gaeljo. A result has been a bountiful outflow of books of high standard —a veritable literary renaissance. The second urge has been industrial and economic. It was due to the painful recognition of the drift South of industry, with all its tragic, heart-rending elimination of many Scottish firms whose influence had been felt in far-off iields. This urge fructified in May, 1931, through the setting up of the Scottish National Development Council under the wise direction of the Earl of Elgin and Sir James Lithgow. While absolutely nonparty it is an important expression of the new national consciousness. The third, or political, urge of the Scottish movement arose about four years ago when a National party, combining existing organisations, came into being imbued with the conviction that the cause of Home Rule had been betrayed by both the Liberal and Labor parties. Its president is Mr. It. P Cunningham-Graham, described as one of the most adventurous and picturesque figures the Scottish aristocracy Ims thrown up for generations. This

organisation is seeking now to tally educate the public, ns to .its aims and objects, and takes care to stress that not a grain of antagonism to England exists. Since the now political phase of the movement was initiated in June of this year its pace lias been extraordinary The Liberal Party in Parliament has reaffirmed its support, of Home Pule; certain Conservatives have advanced devolution proposals, and the Labor Party lias boldly declared the need for some form of selfgovernment.. The Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, himself an old Homo Rule campaigner, granted a sympathetic interview recently in which he promised to support the granting of self-government onee the world crisis was abated. It was then announced that Lord Dalsdol, with a 1911 Home Rule Bill to his credit, had joined the National party, thus helping to create a possible bridge between that party and the Moderate group. This group camo into being on Sep-

tember 14 as the result of a remarkable meeting in Glasgow at. which a resolution was passed favoring the setting up of a responsible Parliament in Scotland, with full control of all purely Scottish affairs, aud it emphasised that separation from England could not fail to be otherwise than prejudicial to national interests and commerce, and must therefore be opposed. Since then the National party has been earnestly seeking to find a formula which will reconcile its aims with the purpose of the Moderates. “The conclusion of the whole matter,” writes the Daily Telegraph’s contributor, “is that many responsible people admit that change ,ia necessary in regard to the administration, of Scottish affairs. They have sympathy with any plan through which Scotland, with a Parliament of her own, .would be able to give a now direction and an invigorating impulse to her national life. They wish to retain the entity of tho British State iii all things which are common to both countries and which concern relationships with the Empire and the worfii at large.” With this assurance it is possible to heartily wish guid luck to the campaigners. It is high time that, the Imperial Parliament was relieved of many of the petty parochial matters that come before it, and if the people of Scotland arc given the liberty they have so.long desired of managing their own affairs there will be no weaken; ing but rather a strengthening of the bonds of the United Kingdom and the Empire.