Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29,1920. MODERN WOMAN.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 November 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29,1920. MODERN WOMAN.

Of late years woman has securely established herself in spheres which were once monopolised by man. We may like the intrusion or not, but we must accept it, says a contemporary, as an accomplished fact, and must make the best of it. That is the attitude which Mr Arnold Bennett takes up in a late hook, “Our Women.” Mr Bennett has no mind" to essay the role of a literary Canute vainly endeavouring to stem the advancing tide of feminism. Women have come to stay in the masculine citadel; it is good policy as well as good manners to tell them that their presence is welcome, and Mr Bennett quite honestly believes that it is in the best interests of men and women alike. Of .course, the working woman is no new phenomenon. 'The maxim that a woman’s proper place is the 'home is all right, as far as it goes, but it does not provide for conditions such as exist in Britain, where the women outnumber the men, and where a proportion of the former must look outside the home for a useful career. For long women, by a process of more or less peaceful penetration, have been invading business and industry. The war gave them an opportunity of serving their country, and at the same time improving their own economic position, which they were quick to grasp. They were called upon to perform a hundred unaccustomed tasks, and did them well. They filled the offices and made munitions ; they tilled the fields and drove motors; igirls whose most j-rtrenuious occupation had hitherto been to dust the china or arrange the flowers, blossomed into highly competent “Waacs”, “Wrens”, or “V.A.D.’s”. At first their new activities were not to be permanent. When the men returned, the women were going home to resume their normal routine, but when the time came they were naturally reluctant to do so. They had come to like a working life. They appreciated the freedom and the companionship • existence was fuller than in suburbia, where the greatest excitement consisted of tennis and visiting, and Mr Bennett thoroughly approves of their desire to remain in harness. He holds that every woman should not only be capable of earning her own living, but should actually do so, for a time at least, even where there is no financial necessity. He sees no objection to married women working, should domestic circumstances permit. At present in moat marriages the wife is economically dependent on the husband, and that is not wholly beneficial to their mutual relationship. The fear of “The Twelve Pojund Look” which Sir James Barrie has celebrated, | would be a check on many a potential domestic tyrant. But what of ro--1 mance? Would not Cupid direct his ' shafts in vain against these practical self-sufficient/viand independent young ladies? thinks not. Every advance that women have made has always aroused doleful forebodings. Sixty ■years ago there were many who declared that girls “unsexed” themselves by becoming hospital nurses. But human nature endures, and as long as

there are men and women there will be ' marrying and giving in marriage. The : relations of the sexes will change, says Mr Bennett, but for the better there : will be less sentimentality and more < reasonableness; a greater spirit of give and take, and more genuine comrade- 1 ship. [ It .is not like our Mayor to take a narrow view of public (utilities. Therefore he must have been in an unusual captious mood on Friday night, when at the Borough Council meeting he took exception to the Westland Progress League taking the initiative in regard to some organised opposition to the Westland district with its interior boroughs being included in the Greymouth Harbor district, as is on the j cards, if concerted action, be not taken betimes. Mr Perry thought the Boroiugh Council or County Council as more directly representing the ratepayers should be the moving spirit, j But the fact is patent that neither ! body moved in a public way in a matter when it was “up” to some authority to act. The Progress League as a free lance and with a wide enough constitution to embrace all thing’s great and small affecting the public weal, saw fit to step in and take the initiative. Sifted to the bottom it was discovered that it was one of Mr Perry’s own councillors (Mr Breeze) who was the moving spirit at the meeting of the League, and that fact should have mollified the Mayor. To us it does not seem a matter of very great importance who promoted the calling

of the conference. The essential tiling was to have the conference called and if there are any laurels over the action then the League committee should have them. Strictly speaking the subject is | neither a borough matter solely, nor a j county matter solely. Both town and j country are equally interested, and in.l their own ways no dotubt the respective | councils were acting in the interests "of their people. But the matter is one which all sections of the community should join and all. interests should unite in a common defence. The Progress League, despite its juvenility, is well qualified to be the moving spirit, and we gather it has done the initial work well, for all representative bodies in town and country have been invited to send delegates to Wednesday’s meetings and focus on united action. For this associated organisation the League l committee has done weH, and deserves thanjks ratfli efi than blame for its praiseworthy action.

When Mr Breeze was at the confessional at the Borough meeting on Friday night, and excusing his action over the matter just, referred to, he said he felt prompted to mov e as he had done because though it was the Council’s place to move first, “nothing had been done as usual.” This caustic comment might have been passed later in the meeting by Mr Breeze, or any of his colleagues, when the Council resolved on a negative attitude regarding a building with coppers in Cass Square for the use of picnic parties. The cost of this special convenience was set down/ at £7O, a very reasonable amount, and the expenditure would have been approved very generally by the ratepayers. Let us reiterate that Cass Square is on© of the best assets the town has. It is the lungs of the borough where the youth foregather and carry on their games. The centrally situated grounds, cool and comfortable as they are in many respects, are also the magnets to draw to Hokitika year after year hundreds of excursionists; who with their young folk spend a jolly time on Cass Square. There is no more pleasing sight than to see the capaciolus grounds animated by the presence and activities of hundreds of visiting youths' and maidens enjoying themselves to their hearts’ content. It is worth while the town catering for the patronage brought to our doors by these excursions and one way is to provide cleanly and comfortable quarters where food and drink can be prepared. The primative course hitherto followed, and apparently to continue indefinitely—is to boil the water in the open often .under very smoky conditions, and affording no proper shelter from either wind or rain. The proposal mooted long ago to erect a suitable building where the coppers would be under cover, and there would be facilities for washing drinking utensils, as well as other necessary provisions adding to cleanliness, which has long been a necessity for better equipment of the grounds. We had hoped this convenience was about to arrive, bjut it is again postponed or as Mr Breeze would comment “nothing Cone as usual,” and in this connection we note that even Mr Breeze is on the side of those who sat still and would do nothing.