AMONG OURSELVES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 41, 18 February 1927, Page 17

AMONG OURSELVES.

A WEEKLY BUDGET. I (By CONSTANCE CLYDE.) FATHERHOOD REMUNERATIVE. Feminists must have been rather amused by a recent cable announcing how, last year a certain American father (in Georgia) received a medal from Congress on the birth of his twenty-eighth child, while this year, on the birth of yet another, President Coolidge has "sent his approbation." It might be thought that the other partner in the marriage, even though not responsible for all, should have received the medal. In some parts of Europe men have found even a' pretended fatherhood remunerative. Thus, in Prussia, a law was' passed, encouraging fathers to acknowledge their illegal children, by presenting them, on merely doing so, with a bonus of 150 marks. No paternal duties are exacted. As a result of this piece of legislation, at least one enterprising person has been making a living by seeking out unmarried mothers, and persuading them not to make denial when he affirmed paternity. After many bonuses had been received, he was discovered only through his accomplices informing on him when he did not pay them sufficiently. In France, the law has long allowed a man to affirm paternity, without proof, at the same time not exacting duties. Many false declarations are alleged to have been made. The man affirms, disappears, and then reappears years later to claim support when the boy or girl become self-sup-porting. A case is told of a young qivil servant, responsible now for his father's keep, though he believes the relationship to be false. In France, the rules are strict regarding the support of father and mother, and an affirming parent ranks with any other.

THE SPANISH WOMAN. In the "Women's Leader" resume of last year, the Spanish woman gets small mention, only an allusion tt» women voting in the referendum. We know, showeyer, that a vpte is permitted to all adult spinsters, also widows, and wives judicially separated, while there are several societies working for the improvement of woman's status. Dona Maria Espinosa is elected to the council of Segovia, while many of our sex are represented in chemistry, the medical profession, the teaching profession, and the civil service. They are accepted as clerks and' secretaries in many departments, except the War and the Marine Departments. In this •'Leader" resume, touching on almost all" countries, it is noted that Portugal is not mentioned at aIL It must occur to many people that the inhabitants of this little country would be better employed in social reform, and in the progress of women perhaps in particular, than in over-indulg-ence in the national industry of making revolutions. -

IN THE FREE CHRCHES. ? Say a a writer: "In Scotland the shade of John Knox must be stirring uneasily. For the first time in the five hundred years of its history, Edinburgh University has conferred the B.D. degree upon a woman." An honours woman graduate of Glasgow University was admitted lately, as the first woman student of the Scottish Congregational College, and she also ia trying for the Divinity degree. In other free churches the right is not gained,, but, -as has been quoted, "Even lost battles are Useful. We must satisfy our antagonists with some victories in Order to win the last victory ourselves.'* Women ministers are already scattered over England, representing unitarianism. baptism, and Congregationalism. Wesleyanism has not yet accepted the new ideal, though only by a narrow margin was there defeat of the admission of unmarried.women to the ministry. WOMEN IN POWER. Of late. there has been a certain decrease of women in power as regards European countries generally. In Germany, for instance, there are at . present fewer women_ magistrates and councillors than, about twelve months ago, and fewer members again (only six) in the Baden . Landtag. Czecho-Slovakia has lost -two out of its seventeen women members of Parliament, and Lithuania two also outoflts seven. Hungary has only one woman member, while England also suffered some loss of its few women

members. On the other hand Belgium lias shown a considerable increase in its number of 'women councillors, while, coming to the east, twenty-six women were elected to the Jewish National Council of Palestine. Such decrease, therefore, as exists is probably due to the fortunes of war, and not attributable to any particular wave of anti-feminism.

PROTECTIVE LEGISLATION. Protective legislation for women has many advocates, and also opponents, even among our own sex. The former point out how such special legislation merely leads the way, the women's protection bringing on "that of the men. This may be so as regards * hours of work and so forth. Someone, however, points out that the recently passed Lead Paint Bill (Eng.) will be very detrimental to girl house decorators, as part oi this occupation, in which they excel, means the use of lead paint, though not to any great extent. TMs law will not lead to the prohibition of lead painting by men, for it is evident that susceptibility to this poison is a matter of temperament instead of sex. Neither women nor men susceptible in such respects are likely to take up the occupation of house decoration. There is a very low grade of sweated labour, in which women alone are exploited, in which laws fixing hours, etc., will do no harm, as in any case the employers would not substitute men.