The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY JANUARY 3, 1912. WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 17, 3 January 1912, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY JANUARY 3, 1912. WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE.

The,question of the extension of the franchise to women is absorbing more attention than ever at Homo just now. , At the end of November, the Prime Minister informed a deputation that while ho personally would not make himself' responsible for a measure on which the Cabinet and: his party are divided, he is willing to allow an amendment to bo moved to the proposed Reform Bill which might transform the measure into an Adult Suffrage Bill. If the British House of Parliament voted in favour of the amendment the Government would accept the decision, and would accept full responsibility for the Bill in its amended form. Mr LloydGeorgc has expressed his willingness to move an amendment in favour of Woman Suffrage, and suggests that next year “several millions of women” may have the franchise. The question is now raised as to whether twenty-one is not too early an age for an adult suffrage, and the age of twenty-five is suggested instead. The recognition of twenty-one as the legal definition is a purely arbitrary one, says the “Nation.” “Nothing demands that this low age limit should nccessaadly be adopted for a democratic franchise. It came in'with the property qualification; it might very well disappear with it. We doubt much Whether the new qualification of personality can he considered to bo completely attained by the ordinary youth who passes his twenty-first birthday. As infancy becomes more prolonged with civilisation, so does youth. Among the well-to-do classes boys and girls remain more and more in statu nupillari until well after twenty-one. Professional life can, hardly bo said io be begun before twenty-five. The lame tendency is making itself felt in other classes and grades of society. Greater and more adequate technical training will undoubtedly lefer the period of an independent manhood or womanhood and a full economic status for an increasing number of youths. Why should not tll’.c age of qualification for the extended franchise bo raised, in the case of future voters, to twenty-five P Levity is natural to youth, but it cannot lie regarded as a factor serviceable in the art of government.” In reply to the query, what number of voters would adult suffrage put on the listsP it is stated that there arc no figures yet available giving the number of persons over twenty-one at the hist census so an estimate lias been made which has a certain amount of sanction behind it. It makes the number of men over twenty-one, loosely, 11,900,000, and of women over twentv-one, looselv, 13,200,000.