A WOMAN ON WOMEN'S COLUMNS.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 44, 12 January 1912, Page 18

A WOMAN ON WOMEN'S COLUMNS.

Dear Comrade,—ln your last week's issue there is a notice advertising tho projected enlargement of your paper. It was stated that there would be a "Children's Corner" and a "Women's Page." I, on getting this week's issue of "The Worker," looked for that most curious of inconsistencies (in a Socialist paper) tho "Women's Page." I did not find a page with that heading, but I found a couple of columns entitled "Hearth and Home," and on reading found the material —feminine; that is to say, I found the articles addressed to women and the "Interesting Items." stalo jokes at their expense. I have heard the phrase before, and have often Been it used to endeavour to make the chafing chains of slavery less felt, otto give them a gilded hue, but I did think wo might expect a slightly broadened sphere from our friends of "The Maorilaud Worker." "Hearth and Home" sounds well, but, say, Mr. Editor, how many of us can afford a home, and for those who have managed to get a poor kind of substitute together, what about the tire for the hearth? And dare we bring children, tho only things that give the four walls the right to the name, to a fireless hearth? The few who can afford these things—the things that are necessary to make the hearth and homo something more than an empty phrase —do not concern us poor battlers, liecause it is more than likely that they would look with eyes of scorn at us even if out cries reached their willingly deaf ears, nor would they be familiar with "Hearth and Homo"—they are too busily engaged in the last dance of the season, tho dance that is the last hitter-sweet drop in their cup of power. But this is my grievance, Mr. Editor: Since your paper is a Socialist paper and since all Socialists believe in tex equality, wherefore a ladies' column? And even if we must have that, why, oh why, do you give us receipts for darkening our grey-sprinkled tresses when we are writhing under the injustices that cause them, along with ether signs of premature age? I think I speak i'or most other working women of Now Zealand when I fay that we have not the time to dye cur hair, even if we had tho Lenrt to <p-'Jid our husbands' shilling per hour, which his kind and generous employer metes out to him, and which is barely sufficient to keep body and soul together, to say nothing of scalps and hair. What matters it to us about our "crowning glory" when the wretched conditions under which we exist drag our "Jiving glories" (our children) away from us?— our sons in order that they may learn to work and fight for the master class. Yes, t>hey ore trained to use arms which they may have to shoot their fathere and brothers, if thow fathers ami

Iv.ol.hvrs ask lor a lil-th- mm. ol their own. Our diHugliterS arc driven Inun tii.'i.i "ll.'Olih ;iml Home" to lighl lor ;.i.i honest living, nerving the maste-i • las* wilh their hands or telling their I ...dies and ilamning tit. i r soul* in ori*i! that Ihey nui\ keep food ol ii sort ii: their stomachs nn:l blood, ol'ton corrupted. Hewing warm in their vins. We weep te-irs ot woe, ;nid heave sighs of ngrct. but it is not for curtailing tresses nr for their lest glint of gold, bill because mil' ■'•hearths and homes" are empty and our loved ones • gone, because our lives have lost their only remaining ray of sunshine. tiin take a little hint from the receipts, sisters- -cover your pillow o' nights, if you have one tn cover, for leiir it will get- stained. Yes. cover ihe pillow, and if you can forget your loneliness and sleep despite tin discomfort of the clamminess of the fallen teal's, dream, sisters, dream that (he sun has risen anil the darkness ol wage-slavery and inequality has sunk into the last, long sleep. Ob. Mr. Editor. I beg you, if we must'still have our ladies' committees, our "Girls' Realms" and our "Women's Cage"— if we must- converse separately from our brothers—if, like the (Jove.rutnont you criticise, you will insist on giving'us smaller wages (less brain food and of an inferior quality), 1 beg you will endeavour to educate us to appreciate something more ennobling, than tilth-tattle in music shops, something more scientific than "hugging to music," something more elevating than divorce courts, and something more necessary to the advancement- and wellbeing of the race in general than receipts for hair dye and vapid remarks about the use and misuse of perfume. —Yours, etc.,

Auckland. RHODA ASI'IN. (The above letter has been "crowded out" for some time. —Kd.)