WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 322, 8 June 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted Dy "Eileen.")

KNIGHTHOOD FOR WOMEN.

Professor W. F. Simpson, of King's College, London, Ims been writing to the Times drawing attention to the various phases of women's work as a very hopeful sign for the future, and confessing his surprise that, with so many women prominent in almost every walk of life open to them, there is little recognition of their services. The Daily Sketch has been making enquiries, and finds, that the suggestion of a new Order for woman would be .frankly welcomed as a' means of public recognition of women's' eminence in the arts, sciences and literature. The paper quotes a learned professor, who preferred to be nameless in the discussion of a public question, and who said: "You have nowadays women of note in the front rank of the drama, of music, of literature, of the arts, of medicine, but because they are women they do not seem tp get any recognition whatever. What a happy idea it would] Ira if, in view of the approaching Coronation, women, as a sex, were for the first time to be granted official recognition. Suppose that Queen Mary, who is herselt a model of all that is womanly, wifely! and whose interest in the intellectual' advancement and social welfare of her sex is deep, were moved to institute a; new Order for women only." An article taking the same view appeared in the Daily Express on April 4, and concluded: "The foundation of such an'.'order would be worthy of tlie nation that has so often been tlie pioneer of progress. Occasion calls for it, and what time could be more fitting than this year of the Coronation of a King whose every thought is for his people's welfare, and a Queen whoso lifelong sympathy with women's work has never yet been asked in vain?" ON THE RIGHT TRACK.

Miss Isabel Cleghorn, of Sheffield—the. first woman to fill the presidential chair of the English National Union of Teach-j ers—was installed into office in April, and in an inaugural address of great power thus outlined her ideals of a per-] fected scheme of national education:— i It is to be a system that will evolve out of the present scheme when priest and politician shall have setjtled their differences, when all the grant earning! schools of ithe country shall be under the j same kind of management, wh«n the education authorities shall be freed from the bug-bear of an ever-increasing rate, and when the Imperial Exchequer skali bear its full burden of the cost of national education. She would make all education up to the age of twelve years primary in name -and practice, and after the age of twelve she would require a system of ladders, by means of whisk all could climb —not necessarily to a university or a training college, but to the goal of their own individual ambitions. A new system of secondary education, iacluding domestic and trade, as well as commercial and literary education, would take time, and would require legislative impulse, tn say nothing of legislation, i The Manchester Guardian (no mean authority) paid Miss Cleghorn this! unique compliment in its cditoral:—"lt J was the kind of speech to confirm one in the belief that women are even more interested than men in the work of education, and have more understanding of its essentials. . . . Miss Cleghorn covered the field of education, from the infant school to the university, and had much to say that was well worth quarrelling with—which is the highest test of excellence in a presidential address."

BRIDES' FAVORITE AGE. Tie full report of the Registrar-Gen-eral for Great Britain for 1909 on births, marriages and deaths contains many interesting facts. The marriage rate ia 1909—14.6 per 1800 of population—shows a fall of J7.4 per cent, when compared with the rate of 1870-1880. The Regis-trar-General states that the effect of the modern tendency towards postponement of marriage is clearly shows in th« facts that the marriage rates for women, whether single or widowed, have declined in all age groups except 25-35, awd that the marriage rates for bachelors have generally increased at ages above 25, below which age there is a large decrease. In 1909 the number or marriages of divorced persons who remarried in 1876-78 was equal to about 19 per cent, of the number divorced during that period, whereas in 1009 the pro,porticm had risen •to about 50 per cent. "It should be pointod »ut, however," he report adds, "that ia some cases persons who have been divorced abroad re-marry in this country, and also that the figures refer only to persons described in the marriage ragister as divorced, and possibly this description is n#t given in all cases in w*iich it is applicable. It is .pointed out that of the marriages of Kiiuors—'which on l!he whole show a continuous decrease — Wis highest proportions were recorded in the mining and manufacturing counties. Almost four-fifths of the marriagea contracted in England and Wales during 1909 were solemnised with religious ceremonial. This proportion had been steadily, decreasing since 1851 in favor of the growing tendency to resort to superintendent registrars' offices for purely civil marriage, and was smaller in 1909 than in any previous year.

"THE POWER BEHIND THE THRONE." Carcnclita, hhe wife of the exPresidont Diaz, of Mexico, known, to every woman in Mexico by that name, lias been the ''power behind the throne".for many a day. The name means "Little Carmen," and is a teim of affection and endearment. She is the daughter of Senor Rubio, who was his one-time fierce opponent, but they buried their differences when he became the other's prospective son-in-law. They were mawied in 1882, and went on a honeymoon tour of the United States. His first wife left him several children, of whom two sons survive, and Madame Diaz was as fond of them as if they had been her own. She is a devout, ardent Catholic, is very charitable, and is an indefatigable worker. Her pet charity is an institution known as thii Working Women's Home, which was established by her, and is doing a great work towards bettering the condition

of the women of the lower classes. No greater contrast could be imagined than "Carmelitx" was to her famous husband. He was an image of stone; she is a patrician in every sense of the word. She is most highly accomplished, having been educated in the United States and Europe, and speaks several languages fluently. Her charming personality is said to captivate all who come in contact with her. She exercised a wonderful influence over her husband. Those who were acquainted with the domestic life of the ex-President said that in all he was in suavity, polish, diplomacy, and etiquette he owed to the woman who presidod over his home. She softened him, rounded his sharp corners, and tamed the lion who brooked no questioning of his word. This is the tribute that is paid to her personalty by one who knew her well: "Mm. Diaz has set her indelible impression upon her country in the period of its greatest growth. Quiet by nature and of a retiring disposition, she has not assumed a strident part in the social arena of official life. Rather has she played, with quiet persistence, the role of helpmate to a man burdened with the destiny of a nation."