WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 141, 11 December 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen.") NOTES FROM LONDON. WOMEN' AXD AVIATION. London, October 20. Mrs. Maurice Hewlett, the only woman aviator who holds a pilot's certificate, entertains no half views concerning Britain's mistakes in aviation, and was very outspoken in her comments last week at the first "at home" of the Women's Aerial League. Xot only is England, Mrs. Hewlett said, two years behind France in the study of aeronautics, but she dislikes learning. She has copied French aeroplanes and advertised them as original, and so shortsighted is she in appropriating instead of honestly buying licenses to construct over here from the French designs that the French constructors hide their new designs and inventions until a great prize or race is taking place, so that we shall not copy them and stand to | win on their inventions. The lectures* appealed for more, fairness and a real ! sporting spirit in place of what she fearlessly stigmatised "unworthy and mean." It may not be generally known that the Women's Aerial League, organised by -patriotic women to promote the general study of aeronautics and to create a healthy public opinion in favor of a strong air lleet. have already instituted a scholarship of £SO a year for three years, awarded annually, for research. The holder of the first scholarship, Mr. F. Brum well, B.Sc., lias been at wort for a considerable time in the aeronauti cal department of the National Physical Laboratory,, engaged on investigations which should, in the opinion of the director of the laboratory, prove of considerable value when completed. The League are also raising funds for a Rolls memorial scholarship. The League publish their own periodical, the "Aerial

Observer." FIRST LADY PRESIDENT. Miss Amv K. Williams was introduced to the London Teachers' Association at the 30th annual meeting a few days ngo as the first lady president the Association has ever had. Miss Williams is a school teacher. , WOMEN' IX INDIA. For the first time in this country a book teen published with the name of an Indian ruling chief on its title page. This is a volume on "The Position of Women in Indian Life," and is by the Maharani of Ban Via. in collaboration with S. X. Mitra. The Maharani, who is the wife of the popular Gaekwar of Baroda, has travelled extensively in the r last quarter of a century, and the book treats of her travels and impressions in the West and the Far East. Its main object is. however, to make known to Indian women the many sources of emt ployment and interest open to them in America and Europe. MRS. PAXKHURST AXl> CHIVALRY. Said Mrs. Pankhurst on her arrival in New York:—"l know men who are good to women —men who protect women in every possible way—but such men are in the minority. It is just such men that I appeal to on behalf of women who have no such protection. So long as you will not give us political independ; ence you are responsible for the exist ing conditions. Even if we get the vote, perhaps we may not be able to make things just as we think they ought 1 to be; but the responsibility will then be partly ours. Just now I would not be a man for all the wealth in the world." RUSSIAX WOMAN" OFFICIAL. By'the appointment of Mile. Kozlova to be chief of the postal and telegraph branch at the Bourse in SaratolT, Russia, ; a departure from the customary pracIticc lias been made in the direction of extending the claims of women to re--1 cognition for long service. A woman I has never before, in the civil service, been given a post of this responsibility.

WOMEN AND THE BIRTH-RATE. Widely-beloved as the Bishop of London is, there is one subject—and that a pet of his—which invariably raises a hornet's nest of criticism around him. And that not, perhaps, undeservedly, because he invariably seems to address these particular views to middle and lower-class women, who are not sinners, as are the upper classes, on the question of the falling birth-rate. Within the last few days the worthy bachelor bishop has again attempted to sting undutiful women to their duty, and many spirited retorts from women —mothers and wouldbe mothers —are the result. One mother writes of the growing disinclination of men to undertake obligations they cannot fulfil without giving up most of what makes life worth living. An unduly fallins; birth-rate is no doubt an evil, but the remedy is that more men should shoulder the burden of fatherhood, not that the existing mothers should be overworked: ''Tho Stato at present penalises marriage. A husband and wife are considered one person for. Income Tax and two persons for death duties. Two brothers, two sisters or two friends living together are not so treated, though presumably the married people are getting rather tired of being lectured >ty bachelors on their duty." Another writer goes into statistics, and finds that 10 per cent, more boy babies are born that girl babies. At the end of one year the numbers are equal, at the end "of five years girls preponderate, and that one-quarter of the women of the United Kingdom do not marry. The same writer draws attention to the sliockin™ conditions under which thousands of mothers live, and goes on to point out that starved, stunted, undeveloped. overworked girls cannot be satisfactory mothers; yet tho men who make this a further grievance against women, that they are unfit for the performance of their own special functions, have never deigned to spend one penny of (lie nation's wealth 011 the nation's women to improve their stamina, and nave them from the cruel strain and suffering of their conditions. When want and disease and wretchedness break down their resistance there is the workhouse, the gaol, the asylum, and the 'hospital, supported by charity, for the refugee: but of national maternity hospitals, national creches, national district, nurses, national food depots for nursing and expectant mothers a total dearth. WOMEN'S WORK. An exhibition of the work of some of the foremost craftswonien of the day in branches of art which have hitherto been little recognised as feminine is to be opened 011 November 1 in London. One of (he objects of the exhibition being to exercise the truism that art has no sex, men's work is welcomed equally with women's. Peasant arts will be represented; sculpture in stone and bronze and silver and plaster reliefs by general artists of standing will be a special feature. Stained glass, so seldom represented in exhibitions, will be on view. Color prints, etching, bookbinding, jewellery, embroidery and wood carving of the highest standard will be seen. A FAMOUS STORY WRITER DEAD. A woman writer, whose name perhaps is not so well known as her most famous work, passed away in England on Sunday last, in the person of Miss Hesha Stretton. the author of '"Jessica's First Prayer." She was in her eightieth year. When "Jessica's First Prayer." written for Suno<iy at Home, was produced, Miss

Stretton and her elder sister —then a daily governess —were living in poor lodgings in Manchester. Of this famous work, reprinted in book form, it is said that nearly 2,000,W0 copies have been published. It was translated into 2io languages, and in Russian schools is used as a class book. Two other stories, "Alone in London" and "Little Meg's Children" sold to the extent of threequarters of a million. For 11 years—from 1859 till his death —Miss Stretton wrote for Charles Dickens, who was then editor of Household Words. Apart from literature, she took a keen and practical interest in children, and especially in the crusade against the ill-treatment of children, which resulted in the foundation of the London (afterwards National) Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. During the famine of 1892 in Russia Miss Stretton collected £IOOO for the relief of the peasants, and went to much trouble to see that it was properly distributed. It is said that Alex-, ander 11. was so much struck by her story, "Jessica's First Prayer" that he ordered it to be sent to every school in the Russian Empire, but his successor revoked that order and directed that every copy of the work should be burnt.

WIFELY METHODS, IN THE EAST. Can it be that the East, the home of harems and zenanas and hushed seraglios, can give the Western wife any advice worth having! This is what Miss Cornelia Sorabji says. The woman behind the purdah, she tells us, must remain unseen by any man but her husband, and many a one thinks she would die if the sound of her voice were heard by any other man. Yet the power possessed by these women was extraordinary. Women who appeared mere slaves, doormats for their lords to walk over,' very often ruled the household. Howdoes the imprisoned Oriental woman contrive to make her husband her slave? "They are helped by the priests," says Miss Sorabji. "The priests tell the superstitious men, 'When the women are pleased the gods are pleased.' If a woman cannot get her own way," says Miss Sorabji, "it is astonishing how unpleasant she can make herself." Just so. "Tf she is denied anything she may say, 'lf I do not get it I will disfigure myself,' and she is sure to keep her word. I know of one woman who said, 'I will keep foot bent under me till you give me what I ask.' The husband was obstinate, and for a long time would not ! give way. He did finally, but by that 1 time keeping in the one position had made his wife a permanent cripple. Thus w;as woman's dignity vindicated. A 1 wife can sulk, and she does, sometimes [ for days. In every old Indian house ; there was a room called the sulking ' room, and if a disobliging husband came ■ home to find his wife shut up in this 1 room, he frequently came to terms."