, within the last few years--four
women dramatists have tackled political or politico-social problems.
There was the Hon. Mrs Alfred Lyttleton, and her able, interesting play
called _Warp and Woof_, dealing with the question of shopgirls and the
Factory Act. Next in order of date came _Votes for Women_, by Miss
Elizabeth Robins, a brilliant novelist and admirable actress, a little
too much carried away by her subject to do more than write one big
living scene in a conventional play. Mrs Alfred Mond (now Lady Alfred
Mond) is the author of a short piece dealing with Tariff Reform. Not
long ago we had a revival of _Diana of Dobson's_, Miss Cicely Hamilton's
valuable comedy, in which the "living-in" system of shopgirls and the
question of the cruel fines imposed upon them was vividly exhibited.
Lady Bell gave us a very able drama concerning a social question in _The
Way the Money Goes_.

What native plays have we had by men during the period covered by these
four ladies dealing with similar questions? Mr Bernard Shaw has been
running amok during this time and before in a kind of
"down-with-everything" way, but his philosophy of the stage is as
terribly destructive as that of Ibsen, and except in _Widowers' Houses_,
and perhaps _Mrs Warren's Profession_, few of his works handle directly
matters capable of being dealt with by legislation. Years earlier, in
_The Middleman_ and _Judah_, Mr Henry Arthur Jones tackled two questions
and strikes have been treated more than once--notably in George Moore's
clever, interesting, uneven work, _The Strike at Arlingford_. Much
further back there was _Man and Wife_, an attack upon the system of
irregular marriages still existing in Scotland and some of the States of
the Union. Probably there have been some other native works touching
more or less directly upon questions of legislative reform within my
time, but it is difficult to remember all of them; yet there are many
burning matters to-day with ample elements of drama in them.

Probably the Censor is almost blameless in this affair. Since the days
of _The Happy Land_ he has not allowed politicians to be presented upon
the stage; but this has little bearing upon the question. There has been
interference with some scenes concerning "ragging" in the army. The
office bearer has always been very fidgety as far as the army is
concerned; but, in all likelihood, would not prevent the reasonable
treatment upon the stage of any of the matters al