AMONG OURSELVES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 54, 5 March 1926, Page 13

AMONG OURSELVES.

A WEEKLY BUDGET. (By CONSTANCE CLYDE.) LORD BALFOUR'S GOOD WORK. Lord Balfour, the Chancellor of Cambridge; University, has removed another inequality between the sexes under which Cambridge women students suffered (so writes the "Women's Leader"). In future, women are eligible for the Chancellor's medals equally with men. Lord Balfour, in writing to the Vice-Chancel-lor, states that he does not intend that out of three medals offered each year, two shall be for the best men and one for the best woman. "Such a procedure," he writes, "could only be justified that so far as classical learning is concerned, these is an essential inequality between the sexes. . . . That is not my view, nor, I think, the view of those interested in the higher education of women. I desire simply to remove an inequality under which women at present suffer, without modifying any privilege which the men at present enjoy." Lord Balfour has always been on the right side (concludes the "Leader"), and we are glad to find him championing the rights of women students in the strongholds of Cambridge. WOMEN WHO ARE " ONLYS." There is only one London woman in business as a shipping agent, Miss Grace Jeffreys, who has her offices in one of the busiest' streets of the great city. As is so often the case she was originally in partnership with a male relative, in this case a brother, on whose death at Newcastle, she left that town, where they had worked together, and successfully went on her own in London. Another exceptional woman is Dr. Marjorie Hughes, the first woman to sail from Melbourne as ship's doctor, the ship being the Yngaren and the destination Sweden. In a thirty days' trip the ship will touch at Antwerp, London and Dunkirk on her way to Gottenberg. Dr. Hughes will go to Gottenberg and then tour Sweden. This lady doctor has been clinical assistant and honorary anaesthetist of the local hospital, and has also held other good appointments. Doubtless there have beon by now many women cobblers, but Miss Mary Bendelari, an American in spite of her Italian name, has been described as the first woman cobbler to think of really "dressing" the foot. She went through the whole course of cobbling in Paris in order to put her artistic idea 3 on a proper basis. She proved herself, as was necessary, a good business woman. Thus she began her factory in May. 1924, with one workman—by June, 1925, she was employing 10 shoemakers and five expert enamellers. Several times since this, however, has her factory been very much enlarged. There is no doubt that her success in creating and managing a factory has helped the women's cause wliere help is so badly needed —in the

business world. Another record it is alleged has been established in England on the occasion of Queen Alexandra's funeral, when, for the first time, a peal of bells in one town was rung by a band of women only. A SOUTH AFRICAN QUEEN kEGENT. A correspondent to the London "Times" pointed out lately that the death of Labotsibeni, "Queen Regent of Swaziland" has attracted too little notice in England. It is told of this queen that she ruled her people wisely and well for over thirty years, that is to say, ever since the death of her husband gave her the regency. She won the respect of British administrators when they came to know her. She was on the side of Great Britain during the Boer War, and even asked, when the Transvaal was annexed in 1901, that her country also should be taken over. Both Lord Selborne and Lord Milner greatly admired her ability, and her position as regent was confirmed when the British protectorate was established. It is curious to reflect that if queens instead of kings always ruled these simpler nations, Britain's task would be much lightened. Untouched usually by the war virus, enlightened enough to see that change is inevitable, the woman monarch does her best to help such change to come through peace instead of battle. A TURKISH WOMAN AT HOME. It is difficult to obtain reliable information regarding the life of the Turkish woman to-day, so various are the accounts given as to the great change that time has made in her ideas and plan of life. It is said of the Turkish woman in Constantinople that indolent habits are still her bane. She seldom rises before midday, and is always very thickly and - obviously "eosmetiqued."' She is, however, highly educated, and usually sends her small daughter, as well as her son, to one of the excellent English high schools in Constantinople, conducted on the public school system. As these are attended by English as well as eastern children, and as fine corps of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides have been formed, it is considered that the next generation of both races will have many ideals in common. The Turkish language is a compulsory subject, while English is spoken by all, almost as a mother tongue. It is interesting to note that the Constantinople Turkish lady usually lives in a flat. Land has become so scarce that houses are often five fiats. The mistress takes no active part in the house management, it is said, leaving all this to her staff of servants. These she retains, submissive and efficient, by the simple expedient of keeping their wages three months in arrears.