AMONG OURSELVES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 251, 22 October 1926, Page 17

AMONG OURSELVES.

A WEEKLY BUDGET.

{By OONSTAN€E CLYDE.)

MISS WILKINSON'S EFFORTS. Whatever be the rights and wrongs of the miners' strike in England, it is gratifying to know that one of the women M.P.'s is doing what she can to assist the true victims of such a strike—the children. This is Miss Wilkinson, the Labour member, who went on a moneyraising tour to America on behalf of these children. She travelled third-class, to have more money for this object, saying that it was "more fun to be down where the work of the ship is done." In America, she was able to get into touch with Lady Astor, who was visiting her native country; for a time. Lady Astor promised to help in the matter, a pleasant eign as showing that the appeal was not a mere Labour party matter, Lady Astor being, of course, a Conservative. . There seems to be good feeling among few women members in ihe I House, but) in any case, Miss Wilkinson may look forward to another new .colleague, as the Bury St. Edmund's Divisional 'Labour . party have recently adopted Miss Mary Richardson as can,j didate. ■ . "MA" FERGUSON LOSES HER BET. Says the London "Times": "The woman governor's election two years ago was largely due to the determination'to eliminate the influence of the Ku Klux Klan. With the Klan dying, and popular liberty from its activities assured, people are now turning towards a representative of the young generation." So this paper speaks of Governor Ferguson of Texas, who has lost her position. She was a stateswomen of vigour and selfconfidence, and showed mettle when her position in the Republican party was challenged by Mr. Dan Moody, her own Attorney-General. She made a wager that she would "wipe the floor with him at the next 'primary' election of a Republican candidate." t However, she has lost her bet, and by a good number of votes. She threatened then, it may be remembered, to sling not mud tout rocks ■at her challenger, but the result reminds us somewhat of that quip of. the antipuritan, who said that instead of the PUgrira Fathers landing upon Plymouth Rock it would have been better if Plymouth Rock had landed upon the Pilgrim j Fathers. However that be, it is certain that the rock has come down on "Ma" Ferguson, resulting in, perhaps, permanent extinction. . AMERICAN EUGENICS. There are subjects to which allusion at one time was impossible, but which nowadays women need to face. One of these is the sterilisation, of the unfit, so often alluded to> as a new idea, but in reality not at all modern. A writer in an American magazine shows clearly that in his country this is now part- of practical politics. It has been made law in twenty-three States; in most of these it is put into practice, in others its disregard helps tor increase j that general contempt of law which is so conspicuous in that country as compared to England or its dependencies. - Inmates of reformatories and other institutions come under operation of this law,' and the guardian of a child, its parent or another, in conjunction with a medical superintendent,, can also put this law in action,' wffchout.needing to make any definite statement of the reason. Of course, the assumption is that the boy or girl is a.degenerate, but no proof needs to be Jgiven. rlt is said that mere drunkenness in\an. adult alone is made the excuse. It is regrettable to think that •such'laws were made'with the co-opera-tion of'women voter?, or at least not against their wishes. The writer gives the exact figures, coming to many thousands,; of.-dtlieA men and 'women who have thus t>een-victimised. .... - .".-.

THE VERSATILE AUSTRALIAN GIRL. Typical of the new (school in Australia ie Miss Amanda May McAlister,, of Chillagoe (Queensland), who ie the youngest ehire clerk in the island-continent. She is twenty-one now, and has held that position since she was seventeen. A year after her appointment, she was given the secretaryship also of Chillagoe. She has been teacher and journalist also it seems, and also organiser of a branch of the Country Women's Association, becoming its honorary secretary. MRS. PANKHURST'S WORK. Mrs. CPankhuiet is at present engaged in an anti-communist campaign, working for the Anti-«Commu'niet Union. The "Women's Leader" commends her activity but confesses that it considers the right way to fight communism "is not to go about denouncing it, but rather to engage in a constructive attempt to model society upon an alternative philosophy, and by alternative methods. However, one cannot withhold sympathy logically from thoee who engage in anti-com-munist campaigns, so long as they really know what communism means, and do not confuse it with political democracy, or primitive Christianity, as is sometimes the case. . . . We feel more at home with events when We read of Mrs. Pankhurst's efforts on behalf of a complete and equal franchise, than when we read of her activities under the auspices of the Anti-Communist Union. But perhaps this is a kind of prejudice having roots in certain unpleasant associations connected with the word anti." 60 says cheerfully the "Women's Leader," remembering old days, and the antisuffrage societies, which really helped the cause of suffrage, however, by advertising it. DYSPEPSIA MARTYRS. Comic papers tell ue of the men who are digestively ruined by their wives' bad cooking. In his annual report, however, the chief medical officer of the English Ministry of Health has discovered that, according to insurance records, the classified calieee of ill-health in women give digestive diseases second place, while for the population as a whole, they are third. It is calculated that if the working mothers were added to this classification, the picture would be even gloomier. Of course, much must be ascribed to the carelessness of women themselves when living alone, and therefore inclined to save by cutting down proper food supplies. However that be, such are the figures.

Princess Arthur of Connaught is one of the many ladies, Royal and otherwise, who, having discovered the satisfaction of doing real work during the war, have since been loth to leave their "jobs." Princess Arthur .took to civil hospital work with great enthusiasm. got some qualifications, and still goes to regular duties in a London hospital on certain days each week. This she does so quietly that a well-known surgeon had no idea that a Princess was among his theatre staff until somebody hinted the other day that his language was sometimes such as Royal ladies do not often hear. A smoking euit or dinner jacket «an be carried out in patterned gold cloth and worn over a pleated-lame ekirt, and have a brocaded waistcoat -buttoned with rhinestones. -•'••■' '. - : .