AMONG OURSELVES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 220, 14 September 1923, Page 10

AMONG OURSELVES.

A WEEKLY BUDGET. (By CONSTANCE CLYDE.) A RUSSIAN LADY DOCTOR. We realise, how long the medical woman in the modern sense of the weird has I)cpu among us when we read of Dr. Chabanoff, president of the Russian National Council of Women, who has just been celebrating the forty-fifth anniversary of her life as a medical woman. A number of physicians in Petrograd gave her an ovation, and much was said of her work on behalf of women doctors and of women generally. The veteran woman doctor is still in harness, being at present head of a hospital department. Like most Russian women when they take to feminism at all she is an "out aud outer." In especial she stands for woman's right to keep in her own profession without the State suddenly remembering that she is a "married woman." One wonders what she would have said to that New Zealand man in authority the otlier day who decided against giving a married woman a teachers place up country because "her husband should support her." Psychologists would point out that a married couple arc more suited for the lonelier position: a realist would mention that in New Zealand not ten per cent of the feminine population are really "supported" by their husbands. Rather they help in the supporting, while lovers of 'freedom might observe that how a wife helps in this supporting of her family is a question for herself nnd her husband. LNIVERSITIES AND WOMEN. "Rlackwoods Magazine" is to Ik- congratulated that dealing adversely with feminine claims In university privileges if did not quote the "monstrous regiment of women" I which she,old be regimen rule, in any case, and not regiment). This is something of a feat. The writer, however, lets himself go in other respects. He castigates first the three Tory peers who have sold their birthright,' or something to that effect, by standing up for feminist claims. "The ingenious Lord llaldnne wishes lo punish Cambridge for not keeping up to the standards of the time. Put standards have a trick of vanishing, ami how do we know that the (lag of feminism may not Ik l hauled down within a few years? Feminism is not a divine ordinance. It is not yet accepted by the universal wisdom of mankind as a piece of eternity. It is a whim of the moment, a fashion of the hour. It has generally been a sign of decay and disorder.'' This means simply that in times of disorder rights arc sometimes more easily grasped or conceded. He then points out that Cambridge is an ancient institution, and that its founders made no provision for women, but omits to state that according to that way of reasoning we should do something about the llluccoats Hoys' School, and a few other similar establishments which were originally founded for girls as well as boys. As a matter of fact there is reason to believe that the Tudor period had none of the later dislike to learned ladies, and that the university life of the jieriod was not open to young women merely because of the social conventions of the time. As regards American universities it is pleasant to note an honour conferred upon Mrs. Edith Wharton, who has received the hon. degree of letters in the ■iale Cniversity, lieing the first woman to be awarded that distinction. Professor Phelp. in thus complimenting the distinguished author, spoke .if the jjood work she had done in giving realism that i never descended to sensationalism and j works that would be permanent in literature. j SUCCESSFUL "NEW." OCCUPATIONS. I It is interesting to hear of the new and sometimes I to the conservative) ; somewhat startling occupations that J women take up each day. but perhaps it is really more educative" to note the progress of occupations that were begun some years ago, and to watch whether their followers have made good. One of such callings that seems to have met witlidecided success is that of the speeialtv trained nurse for the nursery, an ideal which was liegun eleven vears'ago. Tln-se were specially chosen young women who were to raise the status of the children's nurse and replace the ignorant girl who was too often given the care of tin- voting even among the well-to-do. Certain of those who took up this training later married or went on to general hospital work, but the majority were found good posts and have left them only to take up the work elsewhere. Another fairly new occupation is that of the farmerette. She is the successor of the land girl of war time, and seems also to lie making <r o od A Canadian paper reports the arrival of four "smiling grey - suited Kn<'lish farmerettes," who had won an airrTcnl tural scholarship open to all girls of this type in England, who cared to compete and who were within fourteen ami eighteen years of age. The competition it is said, was very keen and aroused much interest in the English farming world. The fortunate winners will see a good deal of Camilla, and take special lessons vi seed production and other matters. WOMAN RULER OF PARKS. Lady Trustram Eve has had this Tear the honour—unique for a woman—of being appointed chairman of the Parks and Pleasure Grounds Committee of the London County Council. "Punch "of course, got in the expected joke about gardens of Eden and the new Eve. It is really, however, a very serious matter to have, as someone else put it. the control of the sports of some seven millions of people, and as workers in England live in more, congested areas than is the case with us, the pleasure parks mean so much more to them. It was many years good work on the London County Council and on various committees that obtained for Lady Trustram this signal honour. She is interested in brii]cVi n „ into those health spots of the metropolis some of the wildness of nature, and also in introducing new games, which she considers the people might take up Rightly or wrongly, she was instrumental in the change of regulation last year which made games permissible in "the parks on Sunday, only agreeing that this should be allowed only outside church hours and Sunday school time. Considering the greatness of London, perhaps the fact that a woman now controls its public resorts and games is perhaps not the least notable feature of the Tear so far.