SUFFRAGGETES IN MELBOURNE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 58, 2 December 1907, Page 3

SUFFRAGGETES IN MELBOURNE.

EQUAL PAY FOR. EQUAL WORK. ' Tho other day a tableau and poster display was gi,veii in tho Masonic Hall, Melbourne, illustrating the work of women in the home, the workshop, and tho State. Tho entertainment was given under tho auspices of the Woman's Suffrage Declaration Committee, tho chairwoman (Mrs. M. E. Hobbs) presiding. Thore was a largo attendance, mostly of enthusiastic ladies and their still more enthusiastic escorts, and throughout tho evening specially composed suffrage songs wcro rendered. A verse of one of these, sung to tlift tune of "Onward, Christian Soldiers!" may be quoted as an example of tlio rest:— "Forward, sister women! •' Onward evermore; Bondage is behind you, Freedom is before. Raise the standard boldly, In the morning sun 'Gainst a great injustice, See the fight begun." For the information of New Zealanders it may be mentioned that Victorian women are not enfranchised for the State elections, although they have a vote for the Federal elections. Now South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania gave tho State vote to the women almost immediately aftor their receiving the Federal vote, and South Australia and West Australia soon followed; but the women of Victoria are still in their anomalous position, and are the only women in Australia to be in such a position. \Miss Goldstein is a torse and vigorous speaker, whose handsome and essentially appeaVance adds point to her words, and after a few introductory remarks.she explained that the suffrage tableau display was tho first entertainment of its kind ever given in the world. Tho idea was entirely original; and was cot up by tho women of Victoria because they were tired of making ordinary speeches in an ordinary way, ana wanted to see if living pictures would not bo a more effcctivo argument. It was a new form of "pestering tho public," as tho Prime Minister of England would say. , Tho first tableau showed the work of women in an' ago before machinery and adulteration, ■ when the industries of weaving, lace-making, delivering of milk, and so forth wero all in tho hands of women. These occupations had now'been taken nway tjom women, and that was one of the reasons why they had to go into the world to earn their own living. Another tableau'' showed, first, the interior of a court of justice, with a woman in the dock; tried by men judges and jurors and counsel, anil, second, tho same interior with a' man in tlio dock tried by women judges and jurors and counsel. The injustice of tho second pictufo appealed to all, but its reverse was precisely as unjust. It was impossible for any woman to completely understand a man's case, it had long been recognised as a principle of justice that a man should be tried by his peers; why not .a woman also? llefonn m tho law courts was one of the things which woman suffrage would cffcct. In Chicago there were men and women jurors for' cases specially affecting women; why not in Australia also? Now it was more difficult to get suffrage for women than two or three years ago in Victoria before tho women got the Federal suffrage, but it could easily bo done, even this year, if Parliament woro earnest. The women of Victoria were so absolutely disgusted with the State Parliament that when the, proposition came to abolish the State House they would rise as one to vote it out. It was absurd having a Federal 'Parliament and a Stato Parliament as well. ,lf the men in Parliament wcro as earnest over tho woman suffrage movement as over tho gambling laws, the licensing law or the factory laws, the cause would be won. ' Besides justice in tho law courts they wanted justice in the homo. At present a married woman ,in Victoria had no legal right at all to her own child. Tho present' Minister of Lands (Mr. Mackay) had stated the case clearly: that the father had absolute control over his child, and could take the child away from the mother by force if necessary; and oven at his death he could will the custody of tho child to a third person, and that decision could only be upset under certain conditions in the Supreme Court, after tedious and expensive proceedings. That was how the law in Victoria regarded {the relation of the mother to the child of her own body ; the Jaw absolutely scorned the wife and mother; and' it would continue to do so until the women wero enfranchised. Tho next tableau showed a representation of tho number of. women earning their own living in Victoria, industrially, professionally and domestically. Nearly one-third of the women of_ Victoria were earning their own Irving, 145,000 in all. This was said to bo a menace to tho employment of men. in sonic ways it was at present; but tho fault lay with tho men themselves. They made laws which enabled tho Wages Boards to take into consideration, not only the quality of the work, hut tho sex of tlio worker, and legulato the pay accordingly. If men insisted that women should bo paid equal wages with themselves for equal work, they need have no fear of unfair competition. If, on tho other hand, they allowed tho women to he paid less money for the same work, they must not blamo tho women tor tho industrial conditions arising out of this. Further, nowadays, rightly or wrongly, women had heavy financial responsibilities to their families. In enquiries recently made, it was demonstrated, that 97 per cent, of the.women workers of adult ago had financial responsibilities other than their own personal expenses. And what were their wages? Taken from the Factories Report tho average woman's wage varied froni 12s. 2d. to 19s. 3d., the highest wagc-s being paid—rather significantly—m tho making of men's garments and cigarettes. In tho teaching profession 45 per cent, of the women got from £16 to £40 per annum, and 25 per cent, got £85. Seventy per cent, of all tho womon teachers never got more than £8o per annum. Over 5000 womon apprentices aged from 16 to 21 got from 4s. to 15s. Bd. per week. Jt was impossible for women to maintain themselves decently on such miserable pay. After a fow more tableaux, and speeches by Mrs. Low and Mrs. Landale, the meeting closed with applause to those who had furnished so interesting and mformativo an entertainment. A beautiful basket of red and white geraniums was presented to Miss Goldstein during tho evening, red and white being the colours adopted by suffragettes all over the world. Croquet is threatened with a very serious rival. The historical game of bowls has slowly but surely been attracting attention lately as one to which -women might devote themselves. A famous English hostess lias scored a groat success with a bowling green, and many others are having them made. The setting of a bowling green is, or rather may be, altogether charming. "Those bowling men do themselves very well " has passed almost into a proverb. Tho hostess aforemontionod says lier house parties have taken most kindly to bowls, especially the women. Bowls don't disarrange them as many games do. The positions aro graceful', and the exercise light—and pretty clothes can be worn while this particular pleasure is being pursued. Croquet means standing about waiting for turns, while pretty garden houses and comfortable chairs play an important part in the gamo of bowls. When you read elaborate and remarkable "hints"' as to how you can save money by trimming your own hats, cooking your own meals, making your own clothes and keeping them in order, if you aro a working-girl, be wary! (says the London "Star," in some women's notes). It's one tiling to bo your own cook, dressmaker and repairer, if you aro a homo girl. But if, like many thousands of women, you must go off in the onrly morning and stay at your work till night, you may be saving money at tlio wrong end when you try to emulate the accomplishments of nimble-handed ladies with plenty of time at their disposal. To keep oven ono person's clothes in order is a task. The brushing of skirts,' cleaning spots, lepairing rents, replacing buttons, refunding hems, takes many hours of a woman's time. If you have the time, by all means do it, but if it means loss of health leave it for others