WOMEN IN FINLAND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 438, 22 February 1909, Page 3

WOMEN IN FINLAND.

■. :,One:of•'.the;:mosf interesting;yisitbrs Jto London at 'the: present '-moment;-' says a' re-. cent:BuglisU'papor, is' Dr. Thekla JEultin, rBI.P.y ■ member ;qf \the'-Finnish'/ Diet; ■'• a;.' Doc-; ■ tor: of. Philosophy;.-who, has: been "engaged' in literary: .arid jjournalistic ; work, for • many' years.. This;.'is. her. first. visit T tb' England, .^a'nd''all .who ■' haye.rnet-. this, charming; and gifted woman;are immediately; struck 5 by her ..cheerful., manner,: womanly grace,- and 'kind, faceV -lighted by ■ .keen,;- searching 'eyes. ! :; ;! Dr; Hultin,;.wlio is'i'agepmpahied .by: Madariie. Ainb -Malihberg, is regarded;in'; the Finnish':.pict. : more, .as > a worker, than a speaker/ and' for" some, years has been. sec■retary/tatbe':;Statistical': Bureauin, Finland; 'She;;says^the,people : ,of'.-Finland: are very: mteresteu- in ''watching ;:the . suffragist mentuu. England,.; llri 'her , country,'; bo .-.far., as this -reform 1 .-was , concerned, they used only constitutional methods; In the-big strikes; . when all traffic. and all business was stopped, ,men and .women.stood together'...' Then;,tho new;:election:law'was. :It'is oiVo.bf- ' the''.'.inbst democratic /in'-'.the world. :"'." The frahehisd'; 1 is;given to «very .'citizen, man 'oi. .w6man/>.marne'dvor;single,.i who: is .over .24 ,years : of- ag'e.V- Speaking;"of her, experience-in ,the-Diet/where.men. und. women are seated together, .'Dr. Hultiri says -that they; all-voto t o'ji; ; general : pblitioal.'queßtioriß';>yithlthe.ir-!parr ■ties.-' Butf.oh:. 'questions ,'conce riling family. Jife, :the rights of women "and children/ and general;moral and-humanitai-ian.;questions, ;,women.-members ihavo shown"''a I marked .tohdehcy, ';to■act,'.independently, of 'party,'..and r . as'-.'a"'consequence, ..they ;h'ave succbeacd'.■'.! in ,pushihg: d; great.: many-of;; theso; measures, .through; the /Diet.; ■■: Since women 'havei .had direct representation- they haVe brought -for-; ward; Bifls'j .-'. backed 'by - petifipns / from ' .1 the country,' generally, -for'the; abolition 'of;.' tho restrictive, laws against: married>,',women,',-.fqr the; :fa'thcrs of illegitimate .'children resporisiblo: for. their welfare,' etc. , , and,they ■■■fiave: : alreadyVßUc^ consent' from to.' s'everiteen.. -The. , temperance question' is.onobiv.which'the' woriien of ;the- country:: have;shown .themselves v :extrabrdiharily crithusiastio. : '.'The .ready'acceptedtho'.law of prohibition,'.which "will; , ;practically, abolish alcohol ..'.'frbmi'. tho country. ;The:pqsition. ; of-the married-worn ail in Finjand;is still, very much one.of 'subiec.tionitb 'the'vauthoritjr: of the -husband.;. For ftistance, if .the"; wife desires, to; leave", the country-.the consent of her' husband is necessary ; before - the . passport ■; will': be- 'granted; or -if'-'she. wish !to set up in business- for herself: the same consent must be gained.. The .laws relating to the,property of married, \vo-: men, :tooj' are not based byVany meaiis "on.-'tlio assumption that women have;the, same.right of ■ inaependence of 'treatment; and; disposal that men.have.\ These 'matters' .all. received instant attention at the; hands ofVwom'cn.'-'as-isoon; as :they..gained political power. ;I'"in-. land :has,, still, much ..to win in the . w'ay of libertyj but slip has at least gone on'u step further in the right direction than any othoi country in giving women who have sii/Tored fbr ; her. in the. past the chance of helping- to bring about,brighter and more equitable eon 4 ditions in" the, future. :■ .. ; . ." : : . :'..-■

'■' :Angry Mother—"You've'got an jiivful nerve to ask mo to give you back your ball when you Nearly-killed" ono of. my children with it." Boy—"Wellj ma'am , , 'you've.: got'ten .childrerii and;we've only.got,one ball."In spite of what pessimists say, ' . ' : ';•■■' holds all iliseases at bay, .■ ■' .' .And nine-tenths of'our ills ■; . .; ' '.;■■'■' Can be treated by pills, 0 : '.: . . : Laxo-Tonic'is leading the way." - ; ■"" LAXO-TONIC PIILS. 101 d. and Iβ. 6d. ': 19