“ This year the National Council of Women took a firm stand and urged that each Province fully enfranchise its women and asked the Dominion Parliament to grant the Federal vote to women. In 1915 the Ontario society sent another deputation to the Legislature to ask for the Municipal franchise and reminded the Premier, Sir William Hearst, of the favorable verdict that had been given by the voters. He answered that "it had not been proved that the influence of women for good would be increased by the possession of the franchise." ”

“ In 1918 the Women's Indian Association had suffrage resolutions introduced in many provincial conferences and national congresses of men and they were usually passed by large majorities. The British Parliament sent a committee to India to collect evidence as to the amount of franchise that should be included in the proposed Government Bill and distinguished men and women appeared before it in behalf of women, among them Mrs. Annie Besant, president of the National Home Rule League of India, which was strongly in favor of woman suffrage. ”

“ A group of women in Toronto organized an Anti-Suffrage Association and called a public meeting at which the suffragists were denounced for "pressing their claims when all the thought and effort of the Government should be given to the demands of the war." ”

“ In 1910 the women of Saskatchewan sent in petitions, some of them endorsed by city councils, asking Municipal suffrage for married women, but the Government refused it. In opening the Legislature on Mar. 14, 1916, Lieutenant Governor Lake said: "In future years the one outstanding feature of your program will be the full enfranchisement of women." The suffragists of the Province had been organized about five years and the president of the Franchise Board, Mrs. F. A. Lawton, had presented to lier Scott a petition signed by 10,000 names to show that public sentiment was in favor of this action. ”

“ The movement for Prohibi- tion had a strong influence in the granting of woman suffrage in the Provinces and it was hastened by the splendid war work of the women. The first Provincial Legislature to enfranchise women was that of Manitoba, Jan 27, 1916. A convention of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union as early as July, 1902, passed a resolution to press the work for it and later in the year the Labor Party endorsed equal suffrage through its paper, The Voice, and its officers affiliated with the suffrage club. ”

“ In 1902 a Woman's Enfranchisement League was formed in Durban, Natal, and in a few years one in Cape Town, Cape Colony, followed by others in seven or eight towns. In 1904 M. L. Neithling moved in the Legislative Council of Cape Colony a resolution to enfranchise widows and spinsters with the required property and educational qualifications, which was dis- cussed but not voted on. In 1907 Dr. Viljoen presented one to extend the suffrage to women on the same terms as to men. The division showed 24 in favor of it, twelve from each party. ”

“ In granting the complete franchise to a part of her women in 1918 Great Britain followed all of her self-governing colonies, which, with the exception of South Africa, had given the full suffrage on the same terms as exercised by men. New Zealand, Australia and Canada gave Municipal suffrage at early dates, extending from 1867 in New South Wales to 1894 in the Northwest Territories of Canada. ”

“ Sir Robert Borden had no doubts but based his faith on the belief that those women having relatives in the war would vote to compel other men to go and he said at the time : "We are now verging on the point at which women must be entitled to the same voice in directing the affairs of this country as men, and as far as I am concerned I commit myself absolutely to that proposition, but in working it out it is necessary to take into account certain considerations." ”

“ Appreciating the blessings of self-government in Australia through adult suffrage, and appreciating the desire of Your Majesty's Government to vindicate the claims of the small nations to self- rnment, we are confident that Your Majesty will recognize the e of the same claim in the case of the small nation of women in Your Majt-sty's kingdom women who, in this great crisis in the ris- "f the I British Kmpire . . . have proved themselves as worthy soldiers as those on the battlefield, and as worthy of the protection of the ballot, which is conceded to men. ”

“ The women then had to begin campaigns throughout India, mass meetings, petitions, even processions and lobbying. In May, 1921, the Madras Presidency, one of the largest divisions of the country, gave the complete franchise to women and it was followed soon afterwards by the great Bombay Presidency, whose Legislative Council voted for it by 52 to 25, and by that of Burmah. Each State has its Legis- lative Council and a number of these have given the vote to women. The movement is active for it throughout India. ”

“ Stowe was a founder and the first president of the Dominion Women's Enfranchisement Association, which secured many privileges for women. The first woman suffrage society was organized in 1883 in the city council chamber of Toronto with the Mayor in the chair. ”

“ There are many political reform organizations and almost without exception they are willing to include women in any rights ob- 1. Increased opportunities for their education have been opened and there are hundreds of women university graduates. < veral cities the limited municipal vote that men have is shared by women and they are eligible to the council. In 1917 770 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE Great Britain announced that self-government would be given to the people of India and the Women's Indian Association and other agencies began a strenuous campaign to have women included. ”

“ SOUTH AFRICA. At the present time South Africa ha the distinction of being - ' the only English-speaking nation that has not enfranchised its women. There seems to have been some agitation for a vote by the Boer women in early days but a "movement" for it was definitely begun in 1895, when at the annual conference of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Cape Colony at Kim- berley, woman suffrage was made one of their official departments of work. ”

“ The suffragists of Alberta began extensive work in 1910 to have the Municipal franchise possessed by widows and spinsters extended to married women and the agitation was continued to include the full suffrage. ”

“ He said that each Province must enfranchise its women before the Federal Government could act and no Province had done so at this time. In 1914 Dr. Gordon, president of the Toronto Suffrage Society, organized an influential deputation from its members which asked the city council to submit to the voters at the approaching local ion the question of extending to married women the Munici- pal franchise now possessed by widows and spinsters simply to tain their opinion. ”

“ We are deeply interested in the welfare of the women of the Kmpire and we again humbly pe- tition Your Majesty to endow them with that right of self-govern ment for which they have petitioned for nearly three-quarters of a century. The most prominent statesmen of Australia and New Zealand in their visits to Great Britain, Canada and the United States have given testimony as to the benefits of woman suffrage. ”

“ It was the first Local Council in Canada to endorse this cause and later held two public meetings in its interest. In 1910 extensive work was done to regain the Municipal franchise. In 191 1 nine important amendments to the very reprehensible laws concerning women and children were submitted to the Legislature by the Council through the Attorney General and one was passed. In the autumn the Political Equality Club was re-organized in Victoria, Mrs. Gordon Grant, president, and in December at a Provincial Conference in Vancouver she assisted in organizing one there ”

“ I> ,- t I.ritish subject: (2) is of the full age of 21 years or upwards; possesses the qualifications which would entitle a male pe- to vote at a Dominion election in the Province in which the woman is seeking to vote, provided that a married woman or a liter living at home with her parent- shall be deemed to have any necessary property or income qualifications if her hus- band or either of her par qualified A woman is banned 764 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE if married to an enemy alien. ”

“ He said that 'neither he nor any other statesman had placed woman where slu was ; that the Infinite was at work and woman being a part of the Divine plan her place was a^ii;ned by a greater power.' In 1906 I nit, -it inn from the association, headed by Dr. ”