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Scottish Home Rulers The Scottish National Party has been able to present what on paper at any rate look formidable arguments in support of its case, as result of the despatch of a dele- gation to Northern Ireland, the Irish Free State and the Isle of Man to see how the self-government which the Party desires for Scotland is working in those three regions. Each of them, of course, has a much smaller population than Scotland and a much larger measure of self-government. Each is more lightly taxed per head of population, the highest of the three being the Isle of Man with £12 8s. per head, against Scotland's £15 7s. The delegation was particularly impressed with the idea floated by the Federation of Irish Industries (in the Free State) that capital invested by Free State nationals in Free State industry should enjoy special privileges in regard to Income Tax. Comparisons with Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, whose relations with Great Britain are completely friendly, are more to the point than comparisons with the Free State, whose attitude is very different. The report of the Scottish delegation demands consideration, but the real question. is whether the majority of Scotsmen do in fact want anything like the degree of Home Rule which the Scottish National Party advocates. Evidence that they do is so far lacking.
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