Our Letter Box

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7954, 18 October 1905, Page 2

Our Letter Box

(VTa aru not responsilfolo for tho opinions expressed by correspondents). A SIX HOrRS'. DAI. (To the Bditor.) S r,—There is talk in the air for less work ami greater pay—an ideal MX hours only—for a working dav. Southern latitude? Are we wise and are \ye -.instilled in asking so much torso 1 t He? This twentieth centurj seems to be responsible for the demand, but let the present generation ol workers pause anil reflect wjiat the result will be or this demand lead to. The following' subtle verses from a Home paper may seem a "beautiful future" but if the lines are followed upon let i] u . younger of Hie present generation beivare of Mio iW suit which must inevitnblv follow n« precepts.—Yours, etc., DIiMOCHTITS.

My 'ambition is not very highly set. I've not'h'iii'g very wunderful in view I only wish a little more to get. I only want n little less to do.

I envy not t1,,. herein of the Turk, I cov, t not the minimis of the .lew. Give me a little extra for mv work. And of that work a little less to do.

I d. sire mil the wisdoin of the sage. I envy not the poet Iris lofty rhyme, Hut I'd like a slight addition to mv

wage. t And IVI love to earn it in « shorter time.

Now. mind, however mneh I need the cash. Accumulated lucre I would rue, If I had to obtain it b.\ the rash Hot-headed way of taking more to

Now an ear to subtle logic kindly lemllf you knock a working hour from my day, 'I lun as I shall have much more time to spend "I'is obvious I shall need increase of pay. WOMEN'S INI'LIENCE. (To the I'Mitor.) Sir,-I cull llio following extracts from an article by a woman, publishill by th.' Manchester Sunday Chroni. cle. It .serins to me a,matter of th« highest importance, that women uliould think to use lier draing for the' advancement of her country's good as well as the pockets of the wage earners. We have in. New Zealand too much ol th.i foreign foment in ,tli« food we eat land in t'lte dollies we wear. The article is i.ne of sound advice and I commend it In all thoughtful New ZiealairJ women.—l am, etc., DEMOCKtn S. In social life, in the home, in the marki-t, woman is the power ln-hind the scenes. Hut she is a thoroughly wasted force. She could accomplish much. She could almost revolutionise the whole of the country, but she does littlw 'but f'ollwiv Hie fashions, and amuse herself. If she reads or the land of her birth—which for the hears of any big thing that affects sake of the story we will assume is England—who 'liecomes wildly or mitt.I> indignant or ania/nl. according to her nature and the occurrence. That Hie might alter Hie existing conditions of things 'does not occur to her. Women arc not incapable ol thinking out matters, ami-they are possessed oi" a certain amount of intelligence, which, if put to 'a. good use, would compel tibem to remlisfl how vast their power is. I'nfortunn«fly they will not exert themselves, and Hiey are content to -take- things as ibey come, without striving to mend what they consider should be mended or alter what they know j should be altered. 1 havo jii> wTsh to set flown woman as retrograde, or wanting in anything'but tlw most | ordinary brains. On tin-contrary, it is because 1 think she can 'be a very active (actor that I call her'Hty power behind the scenes. She is practically the purchaser of all the goods sold in Engih I„•'wln-tlier-nlio is Hi,. one to actuallv luiiv.l!nwr the monor or not. In the household, in tho -hop. hers is the right or privilege to buy or net i„ buy. Now. if she would but- recognise the tremendous influence she has over Hie market, we would have less cause lo complain of so many foivign-inndc -articles. She could refuse t„ purchase anyl liing of foreign importation. liv adopting I hit plan, and by steadily declining lo buy imported iiiaiiufaclures. she wool,l force the wholesale houses tft slock goods Hie sal,, of which would not ha\e an adverse cllect on English productions. Tlierr is not. I may venture lo say. a single wholesale In use which does not purchase its stock w-lnillj ami solely to suit the prospective woman purchaser. Troilrslllrn sillily I l)e tastes, the wishes, and the methods oJ their womancustomer. 'Phey know perfectly well that tin re are rompiir.il ively few men who are not influenced in ('lollies, as in evcr.\ thing else, by their womenfolk. Consequently il behoves them, if Hiey desire to keep ihetr Hade in. a flourishing condition, io pander to the idiosyncrasies of, their feminine buyer. And the woman is blind tij iier; best inlrresls. Slu cannot see thai ill all inlinitely small space of lime she could change the nliole aspect of trade and render an . article .slniiiprd " made in (.Vl'maii.v" an old curiosily for her children and her children's children In smile over and talk about. I.el woiivu awake tn Ihe fact of I heir importance' and Ih-ey will teach the alien an unforgel.lalile lesson. W.imi nisi Ihink of her children, and slrhe to keep the places which are. alas, being rapidly snapped lip by the eiiierprising and unscrupulous foreigner. A short while will convince Hie tradesman that tho! foreign slock is superfluous, and a 1 return lo English gnoils and Eng-I lish labour would quickly follow on.' Women would cxpci'leuo- a new feeling of respect for themselves ifi they fell Miry were upholding the l dignity oi>lheir laird. If they start-' ed on.- day and tried the experiment] of discarding anylhing not thoroughly English in every form of goods, ,ori food, they would swiftly convert themselves,' and all those wiih whom Hiey have lo deal, to the sense of their i reini'ivdous worth. When- I think of I heir colossal but dormant iiilbience I am fain lo compare il lo an electric, light, which may be so fainl, and yul with oiv 'h can Ire made to' burst forth in all its. sireugtb. and power.