WIVES OF THE FUTURE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1734, 26 April 1913, Page 7

WIVES OF THE FUTURE.

THEIR'TRAINING FOR THE HOME. A PROPOSAL DISCUSSED. - WHAT IS DOMESTIC SCIENCE? - V 'A' letter from the Society for the Pro-" tectioA of Women'and Children to the Board of Governors of Wellington Collego conveying a suggestion that tho Governors ' should accord their co-operation' in making application to the Trustees of tho T. G. Macarthy Bequest for a grant in , aid of establishing a Chair of Domestic Science at Victoria College evoked an interesting discussion at the board's meeting yesterday. The Principal of the Girls?'' College (Miss M'Lcan), expressed her opinion, in a letter, that such a Chair ! would supply a need that existed for tho training of teachers;and others in this Science. Glib Vagueness. The.matter, was brought forward by tho chairman (Mr. !A. 'de B. Brandon) who ,observed'that it was -toinewhat of an im- ' pertinence for outside; bodies ,to prefer such'.a''request' to-the Trustees. It was competent for the ".Trustees to make a grant of this nature if. they thought fit. But lie would like first to know what domestic scieh.ce!really' implied. If domestic'science iueant the Science >of. cooking and . house-keeping' he would make : . no objection to the jproposal, but if' it meant ;teaching:girls how. to' conduct an .analvsis of milkj or. to ascertain , tho percentage ,of pTbteids arid ! such .like, he would op•pose ,it.-;- j <■ . ' Mr.jßobert lie; pointed out that a pro"fesso'r.'of'.domestic;scidnce'had, 'within'a comparatively,recent period,' been appointed in-Duuedm,! biit ho ; gathered that instruction in ;this' branch of science Was not verv eagerly ■ sought after. He believed i that there were,'only .about fight student's in' $ttemlrihck - ;■'■! Mr.. Lee,' continuing, .thought: that the request!■.should be hiade,- but lhe;bdard" shonld not- blindly commit itself to any--thing. -Mr.'. W. H. Field agreed. The board, 'he .'-said,' should not oppose a desirable ■movement) I bat:: should at' least consider :it.*-■ " ; ri'-'ri"?:-'.'/,■> " ■ ,Girls—Normal and Abnormal. r ■ ■■ !- r-i ."■■ », • ~ Mi l ; r .Brandoil'ASaid. that it was "all very l ; well-' to teacliitheors: in suchthings, but 1 practical';dexterity..'wi^sessential.;, Of what good w.ls'the theory of holding , a ■baby. Without-the ;practice? "These unfortunate' piipilsihaye quite, enough to 'do how,".Saidhei; • "'•'■■ . Miss'.Eichmona' considered, that girls 'should.be;allow(sa to; take a normal-girl's ■ course of study—!they should riot be forced .into a. groove; IBy all means, she said; let tho.. abnormal ' woman study , tho sciences if she so elected, but not.the,or-, dinary.''girK' , ;Tho latter should bo, allowed to have 'tuition ;in the creche/ the kiiidergartenj'and .the'cookery, class by all means, '.r-' ■ | , .• ■ Tho'-board. at length'agreed to support the app}ication; :i its support being . subject to 'the 1 provfsion ihat a practical' schemeshould m,' • : " ~v i. '■!' ■r-'n.' ■' , A PRACTICAL SCHEME. ■' •■' ; MR. LA TROBE'S VIEWS.' , A similar/.proposal ' from 'the .samp source'; came before the-Technical School Board last evening. ■ The Director (Mr. W; S. La, Trobe) reported' that upon receipt of the letter troui the society ho had. replied, stiitiug that he .would subinit 'tho society's'suggestion to the board,• and at the same' time had Jointed oiit that.thbre'Wasi.at present the beginnings,. Of a sfihoolj.of'domestio econoriiy in the Technifcal College -for the purpose not only of preparing students -to become ileachers .'ori ■•the'.'. silbject of I ', domestic' science, but also of i prep&ring..you'ng i ßirl9 l .< and older girls for, . domestic" pfl'isults; - There" were at presditifoftfr-Wjtfi'j-pO. giH§ ; "at the KEiMetS/ifhe■ majoi'ity'Of whum 'had to live away from home, and there were-alsb;a considerable number of Victoria College,"students who had'" t'6 live awiy from home,: and'could; not' allbe'accommodated :in the, Girls' Iloslel. ' ■'

jste.. , -■ ; •'"l' Jib. frholo matter is one. that I.'h&ve discussed, from time to time with Mr. Tcnnant,, . principal of' the Triniitig College," said-111'. La 'I'robe,- "and I believe that the following. schclhe, if it could bo. carried-out, would • meet th\3 present needs of the' community excellently:—

A Training Hostel. "There should bo . established a largo hestel for gltls attending the Technical College, Training' College, and 'Victoria College. .Attached to this hostel, and forming an integral port of, it, there Should bo a. well-equipped school of dor mestic science, under a capable, head;who should also havo general chargo of the,hostel. All girls at the hostel, should receive some tfaiuing iin. domestic, scionoc, while'somo of the girls would specialise in' domestic science., . The schools would 1,0 available for day and evening work, and "the younger students, day scholars, or-boarders specialising in domestic work would bo available to carry out work for -the'hostel.. By this arrangement'it is thought that the maximum of economy, and efficiency would bo' 'reached, It should bo abvious, I think, that what: we require most .in tho town is a ; fairly good general'training place for -all girls, rather than a special trainirg place for Diploma-of Public Health candidates." Ho added that lie did not depreciate the valuo of a Chair of. Domestic Science, but strongly urged that the "bread and butter overyday necessities of the place should havo some attention beforo they thought of. refinements." Tho Proposal Adopted. Mr. "W. H: Field said that ho was entirely in sympathy with the ladies of tho society. The conditions of modern' education and work had reduced the homo time of the girls, and it was desirable to take fcuch steps as would compensate for tho neglect of homo instruction in domestic economy. He was satisfied that a great deal of the unhappiness had intruded ' itself into married life' was due to the fact that a domestic training of girls had been, largely neglected. , Ho moved that the board support the application. The motion was seconded -Ly Mr.. George Frost, and adopted.