THE WORLD OF WOMEN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1945, 31 December 1913, Page 2

THE WORLD OF WOMEN.

LEADING EVENTS OF 1913. " ' r *-i "I- f Time,"- «'ith • which'-'«•"<stry *,toi measure tlw immoasurabk^hA^WdeHl^rvt.^/another- Jsiilc to the emlk'3s\ehainHliat\p'ii(.■iyeles tho universo;"- andtJib: vcfi'i-: 1913, with tho fruit-' it has' bornc'fantl'tlic scoil it has sown, has faded "into.-the storehouse of uncounted 'aeons. There are people, many of them, who have seen-its passing with thanksgiving ■■■ in -'their hearts, for whether it be true that misfortune is attached' to the storied number thirteen, or untrue, there can ho no question of tho fact that this year has held much of l turbulcncy,. strife, 'loss, and sadness for many, many people. On the other hand, if we were given the choice as to what \ period wo would rather live' in, this or in s-omo other, there are immoors who would without hesitation chooso tho ono in which wo aro living, inclusive of 1913 and its misfortunes, for tha reason that it is big with history. Everything is in the melting pot, or else standing on its trial — religion, philosophy, scieuco, the government of countries, cherished beliefs that have been clung to with unfaltering faith for' centuries, and the old ideals as to tho position, of women in the world. Timo-frosted standards aro being swept away, new values are being created, and out of tho melting pot I will arise, who knows —a- world reftener--1 (vted? Never has Romance, that divinely fugitive vision, with tho rainbowaureoled face, been closer to us than : now. With finger on lip, and brooding splendour-haunted eyes that hav© looked on beauty mutterahle, she- creeps into- our lonely hours and lifts . our dreams to tho stars. ' - : 1 !• -

Sdeiat Legislation far Women. Hero in New Zealand we hear only tho echoes of tho questions, the difficulties, and the strife with which the. Old World is confronted, and women in this country havo practically hut few serious women's problems to grapple with. For that very reason there is perhaps a danger of. fallinginto a somnambulistic . trance, and of not. being aware of dangers and evils tliat may bo creeping into tho lives of others until they have become a formidable meuaqo to the country. Tho average w©man_ is interested in little outside her own iumediiite circle, with its narrow .interests and pleasures, and in nine eases out ot ten sho views with calm indifference the efforts that aro being made by other women to conquer some of tho existing evils in the world beyond. It is a dreadful snook when these gain an entrance into her own homo, as they somotimcs do, and ruin and desolation follow in their train. ■■■ And sho could havo helped to minimise tho danger. The chargo of inertia, however, can hardly be laid at the door of tho Society for the Protection of "Women and Chitdroit, for it and kindred societies that work either primarily or secondarily, for tho same object, interviewed tho Prime Minister in August, and asked for certain reforms in tho law concerning the protection of girls. The most important of these reforms provided t?iat tho age of protection bo raised to eighteen years of age at least, and that- the law he amended in accordance with Judge Demiiston's recommendation: also that tho marriage law be substantially, raised from the present limit of twelve'.' Another reform asked for was that punishment for assault upon feeble-minded girls shon'id .he. made more sovoro, aiid yet another important proposal was that .Vfomen visitors should be appointed.to take charge o£ women.prisoners in,gaol, some women being made Justices of. tho Peace for this purpose, and that women doctors should he appointed to control women's wards in mental hospitals. Offing to the stress of legislation and of industrial troubles, these matters have been held over, and will probably he dealt with in tho next session . of Parliament.

Encouraging Domesticity. Another matter that was brought forward by a body of representative women in Wellington was that' more facilities for domestic training should ho given girls attending tho primary and secondary schools, and that tho Maearthy Trust be appealed to for the purpose of helping to finance this effort, which was to_ take the form of « hostel for domestic science. Some of-'., those attending the conference were .most enthusiastic in their advocacy of the domeaUo arta, and wcro anxious to sweep away from the time-tablo such matters (is. mathematics, and one or two other subjects which they apparently regarded as being mute superfluous in tho training of girls. They would even like to see this doim in all the .schools where girls are. Such a proceeding, one ran-, not help thinking, would be altogether reactionary, and enough to make the groat women who fought tho strenuous iight for the higher education of women years ago with their heart's blood, retnrn to earth and haunt them with their maledictions. Education, eiivironment, and cherishcd conventions havo greatly over-sexed women in' the past, find it is only within fairly recent years that we have been getting away from theso errors by throwing open to "women every branch of study and every profession that her abilities entitle her to go in for. To push her back into tho and the kitchen is to forego much o'i what has been so. dearly, gained. ■ .

The Lady pf tho Stars, T<> Mr. Cawthron and to" Jliss' Mary Proctor Kew Zealand _ is ..indebted..for the _ Solar Physics. Observatory, that is the last link - in the.: chain of observatories that encircle the worid.. Jinrly in tho year Miss . Proctor camo to New Zealand to .work for this purpose, and lectured " in tho pities'-' and townships upon. the ■•' scicntllie' .■ .work which could be carried in '■■■this, country if an observatory were "built and equipped. Mr.- Thomas 'Cawthron,' of Nelson, became greatly interested in.tho matter, and after seeing Miss - Proctor anil heaving what she hnd to-say an-; jounced bis intention of.orcctiug, equipping, and endowing' a Solar ; Physics Observatory, which in all probability' will be established upon Cawthron Park, another gift to Nelson which ~ ho, has made. The Observatory is estimated to cost £12,(J00. Had it not been for Miss Proctor and tho interest she ■ aroused, New Zealand would not have been able to lay claim to tho honour of supplying tho last link in such an. important scientific work. Jliss Proctor has recently been appointed ■ an ± associate "'at tiio Hector Observatory in iWellington.'''" 'the visits , of Madame' Xorijica avid Madame Clam Butt will live long iu the memory of 'music-lovers.i.. ..lioth were poles apart," in the" maticr;;of'■.temperament and gifts," but M both*made 1 an in-, tioliUe• impression,v-tho'one with her wonderful "artistrjvl'aiid'lithol other . with her. heart-stirring for Uenee, I the* inconiparable'''danc( , r'p\'who... was ,iho I iivst4.to.yiiscoj;or;^Jo^«s}; l tlie.j : p6etry-{-uf j dancing; and t'o-sh'mv'Jus''J)ur>oitii!io,U{iiK heriiauce ;'of | hearts.;\l <>t;ce and for V ver... ■ v . I ■■'" SAV'"' ■ Women ami ; the Strike. The snifiidi ! past'- playrd.i by; .ibe women - of New Zealand tiid of the recent,;striko^is ; im!i; ; tliat%auhqt; ] be spoken of 100 highly? M).} : "whaf.:-th(>-men(lid, both"as spi ('ial c(iii.-.|:i-lies and ns workers' nincli 'has. been, said ti I .llcii-,' v rii <'n?bsll ;«f tho. back.of i>i* rr.. eucnura-i!'S"h. v ■'' ortl.'»nd : dond,;' lvn'ro ■ tho- women . of,, both town: and?'cQuntrvj

districts. 1 Self-sacrifice, anxiety, . and suspense aro generally the common lot o!' women in times of national emergency, and this tho women of the country felt to the full. In addition to the encouragement-they gave, they turned to, those totally i.naceustomed to hard work and those to whom it is a daily thing,' and worked as their own brothers and- husbands and fathers, would work, without grudging their services. ' In AVeilington, and it is j'ossiblo that they did the same elsewhere, many of tho women banded themselves together and did much to alleviate the monotony as well as to add to tho material comforts of the ."specials" and tho workers. Among these insist be mentioned tho members of the St. John Nursing Division, who did splendid work in Wellington in attending to the wounded in the earlier part of tho strike, and in its later stages in providing refreshments daily for the. men on duty. If nothing clso wero done by tho strike it brought to the surface tho underlying spirit, courage! and sense of fair play of the women of the Dominion.