SURPLUS WOMEN,

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1569, 12 October 1912, Page 11

SURPLUS WOMEN,

The London correspondent of the Sydney "Telegraph" writes, August 16: What to do with the surplus women of Great Britain is a problem that crops up from time to time in (he newspapers. The difficulty is not merely that there are in the United Kingdom a million raoro women than men, but that many, young women of tho middle classes, who have to obtain a means of livelihood for themselves, find the avenues open to. them are overcrowded, and that the pay is poor. A small percentage of educated English women find in France, Germany, and other Continental countries positions as governesses or teachers of languages, but this field is not large, and the pay is not high. The London newspapers have been publishing articles on the lonely lot of English ladies who earn their living in Continental cities, and have to endure a life of exile among foreigners, without tho companionship of relatives or friends. The old attempt to solve the problem of the surplus women of Great Britain _ by assuring them that the oversea Dominions will give them a warm welcome, is being made by good-hearted irresponsible people who assume that because the Dominions want population, they can absorb all classes of people. Here is a sample of the irresponsible invitation taken from a letter which appears in the "Morning Post":—"Canada calls to-day for good women to go and live in the townships, to care for the sick, and to keep the men true to the high ideals of home in the midst of their rough surroundings. Canada appeals in vain. Nurses, school-mistresses, lady residents, workers of all sorts, are the sheer necessities ■of our poor English on tho prairies." Tho Canadian Government authorities in London have found it necessary to qualify this invitation. The only emigrants encouraged by Canada are farm labourers, general labourers, and domestic servants. Canada cannot absorb a large number of women who have qualifications as governesses, nurses, music teachers, . school teachers, and in other genteel'occupations, and desire to take up the same work in the Dominions. The demand for these classes is small, and only those women who can adapt- themselves to the trying conditions 'to be found in a new country can to get on. A. representative'of the "Morning Post" has been making inquiries on the subject among the' Agents-General for the Australian SUites, and has been fold that the d«inand in Australia is chiefly for domestic servants and factory workers. Governesses are warned, that "the supply of locally 'trained governesses is generally sufficient," and are advised to make special inquiry before emigrating lo Australia. They must "be prepared to,take a greater part in the domestic work of tlie household than is customary in England." As to nurses, there are few openings'for them, as tho local supply is sufficient for the demand.