Evening star., 1922-12-24
HOME RULE MOVE
WAKENS SCOTLAND
Irish Example Stirs Discus.
sion and Nature of
Autonomy Is Issue.
Representation is CUT
Withdrawal of 1O2 N. P.'s by Free
State Establishment Hits
Sisterhood.
Representation is CUT
By Cable to Tie Star and New York Tribune.
Copyright, 1s:22.

by eaoie TO The Star and New York Tribune.
Copyright, 1S222
GLASGOW, Scotland, December q.
-England's settlement of the Irish
question by the grant of home rule
to the Irish Free State and the estab.
lishment Of two Irish parliaments has
provoked much discussion in Scot
land as to the desirability of estab-
fishing similar body to Iegislate for
Scotland.
The movement for Scottish home
rule antedates the founding of the
Irish Free State by a number of years.
but a new impetus has been given 1t
by the turn of affairs in Ireland. 1t
has long been contended that the
parliament in London cannot deal
properly with Scotland. 1t has often
oeen pointed out in addition that the
dominfons are allowed to legislate for
themselves. Finally, the argument
has been made that in the imperial
parliament the Scotch representatives
are in hopeless minority-74 Scots
as against 4S2 Englishmen.
Representation Weakened.
This last consideration has been
thrown into particular prominence by
ehC AhSl Nhdk uHuCE tne new fIGe state
constitution the l02 Irish members of
the commons will no longer go to
Westminster. The Irish NJ P.'s ira
ditfonally have voted with the Scotch
bloc on legislation affecting Scotland,
and their absence in the future. in the
eyes OF the Scotch home rulers, makes
the Scotch parliamentary representa-
tion a negligible quantity. This point
is at present perhaps the strongest
weapon in the Scottish home rule
armory of propaganda, for while the
people of Scotland have SO far shown
themselves apathetic toward the
more theoretical reasons why they
should have a greater measure of
governmental autonomy. they are
showing fairly lively appreciation
OF the minor position to which their
interests have been relegated by the
new alignment of the London parlia-
ment.
The tangible result of the sentiment
for Scottish home rule has been the
formation of the Scottish Home Rule
Association with headquarters in
Glasgow. Ito secure self-government
rulers are advocating not only the
formation of a Scotch legislative body.
but also OF a Scotch executive organ
ization to carry its DEGREES into ef-
feet.
Autonomy scope Doubtful.
The exact scope of the local auton-
ony which the S. H. p. A. desires
England to grant Scotland along
these rather general lines is not yet
clear. Among the things in which
home rulers want free hand. how
ever. are the regulation of education
in Scotland, the imposition of taxes. of
which they assert Scotland bears too
great a share in the imperial quota;
the power to make local improvements.
the amalgamation Of municipalities
and the development Of the backward
districts In the highlands.
1t is interesting to note. also. that
one Of the chief grievances of the S.
H. r. A. centers around the large
proportion of the area of Scotland de-
voted exclusively to deer forests and
grouse moors that are owned by Eng
lish sportsmen and kept from agri-
cultural users. when land-hunger.
an acute housing shortage and great
congestion in the cities exists in the
country condition which it is felt
will never be remedied by English
Legislators.