Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-31
NO LONGER DULL
DAYS IN COMMONS
Even Near Scandals Have At
tended the Session Just
Brought to End.
FINGERS OF SUSPICION
AIMED AT NOBLE LORDS
Titled Britons Are Said to Live in
Daily Fear Of a Disgrace
full Exposure.
Foreign Correspondence Of The Star.

Foreign Correspondence OF The Star.
LONDON, August 23, 1913.
There have often been times when pro-
ceedings In the house Of comomns have
been almost unbearably dull and respect
able, but no one can say Of the session
which ended the other day that II has
been lacking in sensations or even in
scandals. as far as they ever have scan
dals in this country.
In this respect, as in many others, we
are gradually losing our old-fashioned in
sularity and scenes have taken place at
Westminster during the last few months
which have been almost as lively as any
OF the Hungarian or French parliaments.
At the very end of the session, before
we had quite forgotten the Marconi mud
die, new scandal threatened to crop I'D
and was only avoided by the firm attitude
of Mr.. MacKenna. Reference is made to
the so-called Piccadilly fiat case. out of
which sensation-loving tory papers tried
to make political capital, insinuating that
the immoral fat in question was under
government protection, just as houses of
ill fame are said to be under police pro-
lection in New York.
Lords Now Under Suspicion.
Mr.. MacKenna's open answer declar-
ing that no member of either the govern
ment or the house OF commons was inn
plicated in the affair put an end to the
attempts Of the sensational press to Gre
ate another political scandal. but rumors
now began to circulate that high and no.
bic personages were involved. to whom
the arrested woman had acted as procur-
esS, and Immediately a labor member
keir Hardie, jumped up and asked the
minister IL he were willing to declare that
no names Of noble lords had been found
among the evidence, question which the
minister skilfully avoided answering
leaving, probably very much against his
intention. the house Of lords under a cloud
of suspicion.
That the question will come up again
later Is beyond any doubt, especially as
it is now said that the woman who was
convicted of running an illegal resort and
who was supposed to be serving her SEN
tence is walking about freely. In the
meantime we are assured that a score of
people Of our highest aristocracy, and
among these even q duke, are living In a
state of terror and hardly dare look at
their morning papers lest they discover
that their crimes have been found out.
Part With sufragettes.
The suffragettes. who a short time ago
party as their faithful allies and cham
pions. no longer conceal their utter
contempt Of the parliamentary represent
atives fthe sons of toll, who were
recently compelled to show their true
colors and reveal how little their SYM
patty was really worth.
t. a "a NJ
paragraph in the insurance law which
grants q maternity benefit Of 80 shillings
to poor mothers to help meet the ex-
penses of childbirth. 1t having been
shown. that In many cases this money
had been handed over to the father, who
had promptly invested it in alcoholic re-
freshments, it was suggested that in the
future maternity benefit was to be handed
over to the mothers direct.
The suggestion caused a panic among
the members Of the labor party. who. with
one honorable exception. all declared
against 1t, and declared that IL the mo-
ton was carried out 1t would ruin the
harmony Of thousands of homes. Never
theless the motion went through by the
votes of men who are strong opponents
of the woman suffrage movement, and
the labor members and Mrs. Pankhurst's
followers are no longer on speaking terms
An Appeal for Funds.
There seems to be widespread opin-
ion among conservatives that all that Is
needed to deliver the country from the
present radical government is money in
vested in the proper places.
pamphlet has been issued from the
conservative headquarters at Westmin-
ster which declares that II the recipient
wants to save the country from the awful
fate of home rule, socialism and radical
all HA l,o 60 n yc 90