WOMAN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 76, 20 September 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD.

(Conducted by "jEileen"). j REVOLUTIONS IN FASHIONS ( Anarchy, false taste, barbarism and all the rest have crept into fashions. Paris artists are indignant (writes the London Daily Telegraph's correspondent). A counter-revolution is being prepared by them. Never before, we are told, were bats so disproportionate i» size, so ugly in conception, so inartistic in form, so absurdly inapproriate. as at present. Dresses are no better. They liave reached the climax of idocy. They no longer drape the human body; they hold it up to ridicule. It is time, therefore, that real artists should have a say in the matter, and they will begin their inroad into fashion's domain at once. , |A great exhibit of fashion, as conceived |by artists, is to be got up for next November. Buyers from London, New York, Chicago and St. Peterburg, look out. Six hundred dolls, half a yard ■ high, will be marshalled in rows. They will wear a new design of fashion, and each will be an artistic creation, not of, the Rue de la Paix, but of the ateliers of the most famous painters, sculptors and draughtsmen. Professional dressmakers will be rigidly excluded from contributing to this exhibit. Each artist will draw and execute an original design of his own, according to which his doll will be dressed. The design will be artistic, natural, and in good taste. There will be no extravagance, no aping of the directoire, the empire and other nonsensical styles. The style in each case will simply be artistic, proper and ornamental. Artists will for once show what they can do, and will teach the costumiers a lesson. A meeting has already been held in the atelier of a famous artist, where the revolutionary scheme was discussed. Sculptors, painters and ladies studied the question with the utmost seriousness. The size of the doll, the qualities of the dresses, and other pertinent subjects were debated in strict secrecy, which did not prevent the secret from oozing ; out, In a short time all the artists who form the new fashion league will receive a programme, and then they will get to work. Nothing eccentric will be tolerated, but every . suggestion that will help to enhance the \ human form will be welcomed. The outcome will be a salon of fashion, which in thrilling interest will throw all the salons of painting and sculpture into the shade.

GIFTS TO BRITISH PREMIER'S DAUGHTERS. What admirable sentiments were expressed and what choice diction was employed by the daughters of the British Prime Minister when they presented themselves at East Fife on July 22, when they represented their father (unavoidably detained in London on public affairs of the utmost urgency) on the occasion of the celebration of his election 25 years before as the Parliamentary representative of the burgh. In acknowledging the presentation of a watch bracelet set with diamonds, the elder lady (Miss Violet) spoke thus: In expressing the thanks of them all—father, stepmother and herself—these beautiful presents would be symbols to them of that close and enduring bond which united them to the electors of East Fife. They knew what a very great disappointment and sorrow it was to her father not to be there; but this was a very crucial moment in the fortunes of their party and of their cause, and it was thought to be of vital importance that he should remain on the spot, and he had sent them there to speak to them instead. Her father first became their member in the year 1886. What her father owed to them it would be very difficult adequately to express. He came to them young—that was not so much against him—(laughter)— unknown untried, a dark horse if ever there was one. They gave him his chance. She hoped that they felt in the five and twenty years that had elapsed between then and now he had done something to deserve the confidence which they were the first to place in him. She knew that the knowledge of the trust and their support and confidence and loyalty had been an unfailing source of inspiration and strength to him throughout his political life, and she thanked him for it. She asked them not to withdraw it from him now or ever, but to extend it to him in the future in the same full and generous measure in which they had granted to him in the past.

Miss Elizabeth Asquith was the recipient of a necklace, and in acknowledging the gift she said: "I shall always value this necklace, because of its beauty and because it is a memento of the first quarter of a century that my father has wit in tlie House of Commons, and has represented not only a Scottish constituency, but the same constituency. I think it is a great credit to both parties. It is a favorite falacy for our Tory friends to say that Scotland remained Liberal through its Conservative instincts, but I am sure that we cannot allow our opponents to have the only excuse that they can make for tho wonderful way in which Scotland has always adhered to Liberal principles. It has given us both particularly great pleasure to be with you, because this is not entirely a party gathering. It is not only a Liberal meeting to do honor to a Liberal member, but is a meeting of all parties to do honor to a man who—l hope I maybe forgiven for saying so—has always remained true to his convictions and has always been faithful to his political creed. SHOULD WIVES BE SALARIED?

Mr. James Douglas writes in the London Star:—"l believe I was the first to propose that wives should be paid, and I am glad to see that other writers ill the Press now agree with me. Mr. Kaye-Kcary .holds that every married woman ought to have money of her own to do what she likes with'. There are thousands of women who never have a penny that they can call their own. It is a .galling position for any human being with a sp.wrk of independent spirit. Women have been inured to the ignominy of living on tlie charity of their husbands. They take it for granted. But it is time to i;nsist upon the elimination of sentiment from the work done by the wife ami mother. Ft ought to be paid for. When a girl marries she ought to he guai'ianteecl a fixed proportion of her husband's income. This would give her economic independence. If, would also gi\(» her a definite status in the State. She /would he a co-partner in the home, iind, not a kind of lielot. She would not be! at the mercy of her' husband's caprices!. She would not be subjected to the .menace of desertion without any provision for her future, or for the future of lur children. J.f every married man were f\orced to pay a fixed proportion of his lavages to his wife, there is no doubt llhat the burden of marriage would not tye so heavy."

NOT& Tho Canadian Paciliy Railway is »»« nf the largest of labor in the world, aiul its management testifies to the reliability and loyalty 'cyf the army of female, clerks and stenographers it employs. At thn head office e".t Montreal close on 400 girls and woiik'ji are thus employed. The contrary view',, however,

is held at San Francisco, where the Southern Pacific Railway Company have just enforced a rule prohibiting the further employment of female clerks and stenographers, not because of their inefficiency, but because it has been found that so'many of them prefer the marriage market just at the time they are becoming most useful to the company! The Burgomaster of Berlin has brought into being a body of women police, one section of whom will devote their attention to ordinary police work, while the others will be specially instructed in the care of infants. These guardians of the children will be required to posses* a knowledge of medicine. When visiting the lowest quarters of the capital they will ,be armed with revolvers for their own protection when making domiciliary visits to houses where it is suspected that children are being ill-treated. Thirty women are to be thu3 engaged for a commencement.

Eighteen women entered for the Weekly Despatch's long-distance swim, which was to have been decided on the Thames the day after the last mail left (August 4). Among them were two New Zealanders—Hara Poeta and Aremuira Wikiriwhi, both hailing from Rotorua. They are reputed to be particularly fine swimmers, and they will have to swim J up to' that reputation to beat some of ] the English girls who are taking part in the race, wliieh is for women only. The course is from Richmond to Blackfriars, a distance of about 15 miles. Several of the entrants competed in the mixed men and women's races held in previous years over the same course. Among them was Miss Olive Carson, who finished fifth in the mixed race, beating 47 men and women. She wvs herself beaten by four men, who were such magnificent swimmers as Battersby, Taylor, Blatherwick and Rice. Three of these men were ''placed" in the men's race at the end of July, so Miss Carson's feat must be accounted a particularly fine one. Other doughty competitors are Miss Ethel Shipley (first lady home in the 190!) race), Miss Florence Trussler (second lady to finish in the 1910 race, and lady world's record holder for 10 and miles miles in still water), and Miss Florence Matt, who finished seventh in both the l!) 09 and 1910 mixed races. The first white woman to reach the far hinterland of West Africa, alone and unaided by any member of her own race, is the Australian novelist, Miss Mary Gaunt, of Betuligo (Vic.) Word of her adventurous journey •through tropical wilderness and jungle has just reached London in the form of a long personal letter from Miss Gaunt to her solicitor, Mr. Laurie. The letter was dated at a point five days' journey beyond Kumassi, in Ashiinti, the hist outpost of civilisation, where no white woman hail ever before ventured. The excitement along the route proved a source of great amusement to Miss Gaunt, as well as of some uneasiness. At every village vast crowds of natives were assembled to see the strange woman with the white face and wonderful dress. As she neared the entrance to a village the chiefs and bodyguard would come out to receive her in state, with umbrellas twirling, tom-toms beating, and long guns popping a royal salute. A bevy of women then rushed forward bearing gifts of fowls, foinnniirf, yams, eggs and huge long-horn--1 ed sheep.