THE INVESTMENTS OF WELLINGTON WOMEN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 203, 21 May 1908, Page 5

THE INVESTMENTS OF WELLINGTON WOMEN.

Tho air. of-Weifington during' the oast'few weeks';has fijll of .talk about investments, and; ''Dominica "■ began' to wonder whether, tho women of. Wellington wo'ro '■osrinonly . as ; interested," as ,tHe. men -in .these matters,, whether, tho working girl liked ( to' invest her small earnings instead of ■"putting them in the Savings Bank for, slow accumulation. •• She know;,of a caso hero and there where some- working womori had paid a little for a section and sold, it'for a lot. "Indeed, she herself in distant - "had,'buried,"ray,■ live -pounds in a .swamp,,;.nor, indeed, dofcs she yet; despair of seeing it bear fruit. nil, hundrodfold.''. 'But ,how .'many '.do ' this? '• Shewent- forth to inquire,; arid thereafter .lighted upon cort-ainVitems of information,' unlooked for,; but';non'c';tho .less, interesting.., , Sho hastens: 1 here to . add -that, this was not .with regard'to'profitablb'investments. ' :

The question' asked, was only about': working girls, single woniori. i ;Mairv" W woman buys land, but; in' niost' cas.es :it;'is' by her husband's mstructioiij- and;at,'jlis':ev penso, and the: deed is drawn un, in ,libr namo. simply as a,; matter of -convenience. There wore about a. dozen, names on' the list of people from, whorii inquiries were •to be madp; the, .first five were- so .unanimous in their answers' tlir.t r '.' Domiiiic?.,". acceptq'u their i statoriicnt 'that it was' no'-uso,,going any further. '■; ' - '

Tho working girl, Wellington will bo glad to hoarj does not;, buy quartpr-acro sections at -Miramar,' - or. squaro .fect at Kelburiic. If she is "able'to ■cave any money at:all, which is- very; greatly,to'be,'doubted,^slio.puts, it r in' the 'Savings Bank, o'r'-j-hidbsj.it;iri: soirib: placp: of more !iccurityVthan:'infe'cst./ ' ."If wo ;hava fnve&ednj money. for nirio girls in ;.fiyo : [years, - ., thatf: is sthe! Very; limits' raid.[onq'fi^?.Y?VTwo*6ivs .said 'another.' ..". Npiio ,'a't ; Vall,-'.-^'said ; a. third. The fourth' and fifth - ,we're equally,','einpjiatic, - ' - ahd : ,thoy...'^. : siftid ! tHp r^mo!-{Kttg^that'.a:: 'giri did'iriot' usually,-go seeki)ig[ ways pf'investing Jioiy money.-', If. she ihoard.:'.-thrpugh.-- a : friend of a " good/thing: sho i'might; put ! .he,r>. small ■ savings into it,'- but; she ihad; not .' much:' idea of taking'the-:initiativp.'; ; 'lrjirtlier,'if 'any .unmarried -girl did investiit - .'would' usually:'.bo found[that'Bhbwas.iguided,in doing so..by, 1 a. father or brother,- 1 and.-dopended;entirely on' his judgment.; .•;i- A .^...;■ : ....': '* ; ' v ; . In. their, answers the' two. business - moii. last approached ..wont '.beyond,: thcNscppo ■ of: tho inquiry., Th^.did'not do much' business with women,: the);, said, ; arid thby. did hot want' to do/any.;Thedraper 1 ,; the' milliner,- the ■ shbemalibr, the. piano-seller, tile' confectiohprVall these 'f'beam "w.itli 1 "dolijht .'when * theysee,' a" womaii'.enter their'doors- : ;.but.thp:.land.:aEont at, such' a, sight.turns palo, his liiiees shako together, ihis; voico,'falters•' hp,'Wishes 'woriion, would .not: niedilleMvith bu'sinpssV : vNow'-th'o woman •is meddling nvith :busiriess : ijust: as much when she', goes to her'tradcs]iooplq, 'but thodifferoricb-is thisthat;in :thp : ,shops alio knows \what - : she is; about,., sho.'".feels fairly sure.of,herself. 'y'.:. Lot her enter' on .some land, investment, arid she.is (though .this.sounds"ivory fniixed) at': sea..- ' ■ She ' is"[full of. self-'disttusfr;:.and, though-sho .'consults'her ..adviser o'n ;th.6:.limpest. way, and throws hprsolf .on' .his - .yvisdbm,' - slie is only"half diopose'd to trust, him. :lTho rosult' is, 'say/-tlioso. men of business,'..'that, forepd-into. tho position- o{:protcct.ihg7thb: .woman's ■ interests;as - : "though ".they wcrp,:thefc own.. .'Tho • transaction ceases, to be : orib - .of' "briyer; seller,j and;. iiitofmcdiiry, but whether■'the -.tfomari'.is .'buyiiig :or..'selliii<; ..®e "broLxr .'hee.nmes, so to; fVakjl'her..godfather;: and ' thea, \ they • .say. : when', everything has boon 1 fixed up,' i\id.the wqmari. has really:; made, a good' deal,,'she, v will coir.o back,and insist on- cancelling her.agreement.' That i3,-where the trouble comes m. A man would, be'. told :by tho agent, that certain land properties were for sale ; he'would . look them over, decide for. himself,' tajie 'his chance, and stick to it 'or bo penalised.'.'TJip listens to all the advice' she can get,- .." and," said .'one man. -indignantlyj. ."'when ;I. havo finished giving: her just .the .advice, Ijshould give., if . it .'wero my own" moricj /being invbsted, "she says, '' And', are. :yoU. :suro ".it is-. :all' right? ' ' Thcii' she gocs'iawajv arid says.Bhe has phanged her mind." : . Another man .suggested "that a woman did not-quitp) realise '.-how" seriously ' ;busihessj[raat•tbrs should bo talcen-.- ' " She :is..Ußcd,to mak[ing conversation at aftornbon ,toii's,"..ho. said,' ;" and i to', saying .'pleasant: things sho .hardly moans; and when 'sho : comes rnto. an" office' liko. this sho. keens- lier . afternoon tea. ideas Nnth.hcr. 'andVe falFin;,, 'repudiates-'her 'agroom'ont, and 'becauso.'she' iis 'a .woitianjive ,allow her -io■ do so r tHouglr-.a. man', in 1 , "sucli -a case: would have, to' sticU to -it. prepay a forfeit." : ' '