WOMEN & WORK, FUTURISM IN FASHION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1740, 3 May 1913, Page 13

WOMEN & WORK,

FUTURISM IN FASHION.

HOME LIFE AND FRANCHISE. Woman having been driven from her alstorio sphere, the home, by tho developmonts of modern industry, she has gone in for—well, everything that the modem woman is going in for, states the Now York "Evoning Poßt." This is perhaps the most familiar assertion in the text-book of militant feminism. It is a .formula whioh seems on the face of the faots bo true that ono rarely stops to consider just how true it is. Wo know by simple observation that the domestio occupations of woman aro being taken away from her by tho factory baker, the factory clothier, and the faotory laundry. We know by simple observation, that women arq crowding into the factories, the business offices, and tho vftAations. Consequently, when the ardent feminist demands whether man, having forced woman out of the home by his. many inventions, will venture to deny her the rights ■which go with her new functions in society, the fair-minded reply seems obvious. Still the Same Old World. But a doubt arises, why, after such a stupendous change, should the world be so very much like what it was before the home was destroyed ? There aro notable differences, too, no doubt. The attitude of the sexes towards eaob other is not what it was a generation ago. This and other differences assumo importance vihon the question of woman's position is under debate. But when one is not debating, but merely living, the sense of change is not so apparent. The family is so intimately bound up . with . civilisation, that the destruction of tho home must inevitably bring a new world • into existence. We look about us and find that in the groat essentials the world is still what it used to be. There are movements, agitations, propagandas, reforms, readjustments;.but life itself is still entirely recognisable for what it was. What can be tho explanation? , Not a Groat Increase of Women Wageearners. One explanation may be built up after a. few minutes' study of the statistics or industry in the United census. They aro illuminative on the subject of just how fast the American home is toeing destroyed. Beforo consulting the Government's figures, the reader might well pause and ask himself the simple Question, How many more women are {kero in industry to-day than there were

♦wenty years ago? He will think of Broadway during the rush hour, of the armies of women workers who have of lato years been waging the most picturesque of our labour wars, and he will probably say, "Oh, I don't know. Three times as many.' Fire times as many." If ho should be warned ngainst . the very simple error of counting actual incroase in numbers without allowing for tho increase in population, (he will modify, his estimate, but still I maintain that the growth of wage-earn-ing women las been enormous. Ho may now glanoe at the census figures. In 1880 the number of women of sixteen years and over engaged in gainful occupations was 16 per cent, of all women in that age class. In 1890 the ratio had risen to 19 per cent. In 1900, the last year for which complete figures are available, the ratio was 20.6 per cent. We do know that between 1899 and 1909 "most, of tho individual States show comparatively little change in tho proportion of women." This applies to women in the manufacturing industries only. But we ore fairly safe in assuming that, for all classes—wage-earners, the professions, and the trades—the rate of increase during the last ten years has not been very tnuch greater than it was between 1890 End 1900. What Figures Prove. The conclusion is plain, therefore, that FOR GREASY HAIR. To removo grease, oil, dust, or grime from the hair, sprinkle half a packot of Icilma Hair Powder lightly over the hair and scalp, allow to remain fivo minutes, or till next morning, whichever j you prefer, and then brush out with a clean, stiff brush. This cleanses the hair in a wonderful way, and loaves it beautifully soft, fresh and glossy-. Icilma Hair Powder (tho new Dry Shampoo) is specially'recommended whenever wetting the hair is not convenient. Guaranteed harmless. per packet, 2\G per large box, at your chemists. Trial packet and sample of Fluor Cream free for 4d. stamp . Icilma Company, Ltd. (Dept. 4 ), Brandon Street, Wellington. FREE. FREE. , OOOICERY ■ MTSS CARTER (Expert and Medallist), TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, Bth and 7th MAY, at « MASONIC HALL, Boulcott Street. All Cordially Invited. . After Demonstration Miss Carter intends forming Classes, advanced plain. , -— " A PRETTY FACE. ITS often'epoiled «nsigl "P" % pearaaco of SUPERFLUOUS HAIR, ladies cannot be too cweful about what they 'use for this trouble. Most <lepilalories burn and mark the skin in a terVible manner. Science has made rapid strides, and we now have a preparation talicd l-SO-LA, _ which prevents hair growing, or if it pas already grown I-SO-LA will instantly temove it. I-SO-LA is guaranteed not to mark or burn the skin, and its uso Cannot be detected. A ftw applications Will entirely destroy the worpt growth, and in some instances only ONE application is necessary. Price 4s. 6d. GEO. MEE, Chemist, Lambton Quay; GEO. PERROTT, Chemist, Manners St., Agents. Posted in plain scaled wrapper to any address for 2d. extra.

during theso last twenty years of "revolutionary" change in ' the social status of woman, the exodus from the homo to the shops has been much smaller than we aro let! to assume. Tho proportionate number of Belf-supporting womfauduring these twenty years lifts not increased fivefold or threefold. It has not even doubled. It has not increased by 50 per cent. Roughly speaking, tho increase has been, about 20 per cent. Where twenty years ago five women above the ago of sixteen n-ci-0 working for pay, to-day there aro six. It is by no means a negligible chanze. But neither is it revolution if wo consider what twenty years means at the present pace of civilisation. Deduct from this number of self-supporting women all those between tho age of sixteen nnd tho average marriage age for women, and the evil effects of our industrial development on the business of home-building are further decreased. In 1890 the number of married women who woro also bread-winners was 4.0 per cent, of all the married women in the country. In 1800 the ratio was 5.G: again a far from negligible increase, but again a Showing that far from justifies confident predictions regarding tho speedy extinction of tho home.

Increase In the Profession!. One important reservation must be made. While the increase in the proportion of women wage-earners, strictly speaking, has been inconsiderable during the last twenty years, the increase of women iin the professions and in clerical and mercantile pursuits has been far greater. But here evidently it is not the factory that ha 9 forced women to. go outside tho homo. To a large extent they are now performing paid services, wliore formerly they perfoimed no services ot oil. In other words, women in salaried and professional classes are being largely recruited from the comparatively leisured families. J-hey come from families of higher than tho average education. It i_s in this comparatively small, though important, middle class that the change in tho economic 6tatus of woman has been most noticeable. And in that fact, too, wq find an explanation. of tlio distorted impression resurdinf tho change in the status or womanhood as a whole. Becauso tney come irom tho class with tho facilities and qualifications for self-expression, it is their views and needs that find utterance in the press and in public movements. They aim to speak for tho soli-supporting women of tho nation, but it is inevitable that they should picture conditions witn which they themselves are familiar. In this there is nothing blameworthy. Perhaps tho thing is inevitable But at the same time it is well to remember that among the farmers, the workers, and the small traders of the nation the homo is not being dissolved. And it is not necessary to show that the home is tn danger in order to provo woman's right to vote. Tho position of wife and mother is quito sufficient qualification for the franchise.

A Parte correspondent writes:—The Futurist has at last found his proper place and use in life. Fashion artists have adopted him. Futurist ribbons, Futurist silks fill the "rayons" of the Paris shops. And the rich, deep, or vivid colours, massed, and mixed together

in the stylo Futurists mass and mix people and things together, really have a very striking effect, The way to this was opened out and led by the introduction of tho coarse woollen flowers and embroidery so much to the fore of late. These silks and ribbons are_ a richer development, and Futurism in millinery and dressmaking is catching on wonderfully. Even the Futurists' rage,for the destruction of all that is old fend oldfashioned is in its right place when applied to dress.