JOTTINGS FOR WOMEN.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 9993, 24 March 1898, Page 4

JOTTINGS FOR WOMEN.

WOMEN AS FINANCIERS.

As directors of banks and companies several noted women bold positions. The Ducheae of Sunderland is a director of a mining company, and also a director on tbe Board of the, London find North-western Railway Company. That well-known philanthropist* Baroness Burdett-Contta, is the leading partner in the'banking house of Messrs Coutts and Co., and is said to attend the Board meetings frequently. • Then "Lady Wolverton, Lady Arthur Russell and Ladj Frederick Cavendish are also directors in certain companies. Lees noted people are Miss Emily How*' land, who was, in 1891, elected a director of the National Bank of Aurora, New York State; Mrs Louise R. Stephens, who succeeded her husband as director on the Board of tbe First National Bank of Marion, Iowa; and Mrs Dick, who holds the post of cashier for the twenty-fourth year, and has also been elected one of the directors in a bank at Httntiugton, Indiana, where there is also another woman director. '

A few years ago the oldest banker in the United States was a woman, Deborah Powers by name, who was senior partner in the bank of D. Powers and Sons, Lansingberg. She was ninety-eight yeans old, and still took an active interest in the bank, be* sides looking after the Deborah Powers Home for Old Ladie.3.

A few years ago the articles of association of the Ro3» Gas Company, i imited, was subscribed to by seven* ladies, though snch instances are not entirely unknown. Banking and matters of finance appear

to claim not a few womei. The notorious " Princess Midas " of a few years ago was very successful in financial affairs, carrying on business for a long time as a stock broker and company promoter. She also owned a Sunday paper for some time, which, curiously enough, is also owned and edited : by a lady now. Some time ago a fascinating Milanese lady was doing quite a brisk business in money lending at a high rate of : interest with necessitous and irapresaioiuble young meu, when an unappreciative Government stepped in and arrested her fur habitual usury.

WOMEN BANK CLERKS,

Finally, it may be remarked, that that close corporation, the Bank of England begun some years ago to take women clerks into its employ. They only, however, do the work that boy clerks formerly performed, and can never obtain a larger salary than £85 yearly. Still it is the thin edge of the wedge. Apropos of this, however, it ie interesting to note that the governor of one of the leading Paris banks has declared that the keen sensibility of a woman's finger tips enables her in handling a bank note to distinguish the difference, however small between the forged and the genuine article! He proves his sincerity by employing seve« ral ladies in that direction.

Many of the insurance companies employ lady clerks—the daughters of professional men—but solely in copying and auoh work, With few exceptions the salaries only ran from £32 to £60 per annum.

" THE HOLINESS OF BEAUTY."

Miss Violet Brooke Hunt — nob the authoress, by the way, of " Unkist, Unkind"—proved herself a brave as well aa an eloquent woman when she chose for the subject with which to open the debate at the Pioneer Club, London, recently, "That woman should cultivate the holiness of beauty as well as the beauty of holiness." Her arguments were that it was a woman's duty to look nice and attractive,' and that where nature failed she was justified in falling back on art for renovation. Some ladies were of opinion that attention to the minutiae of the toilette wassinful.Oneof MissHunt'sacquauK tances mortified the iiesh in Lent by not waving her hair on Wednesdays and Fridays. Miss Hunt, however, repudiated the idea that it was wise for a woman of sixty by any meretricious means to appeal' like one of thirty. In the discussion that followed many were the speakers. A mere man had the courage to assert that he thought the first duty of w6man was to be a mother, audthat it was doubtful if the platform woman of to-day would equal in that respect the generations that arc past. INTERESTING WOMEN. The Daily Chronicle says: —"Dr. Margaret M. Traill Christie, who has just been , specially appointed by the India Office to study the bubonic plague in the hospitals for native women at Bombay, has made rapid progress in her profession, for it is little . more than two years since she took the Mi 8.. degree (with, honours) at London University. Miss Traill Christie's prof easionalstudioa were commenced at the New School of Medioine for Women and the.Royal Free Hospital. She afterwards studied obstetric? at the • Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, and at the Ulapham Maternity Hospital, the latter institution being one which is conducted entirely by women dootore." The Globe says:—" There is an interesting ciroumst&oce in connection with the honour of the distinguished Order of the Royal Red Cross conferred on Miss Susan Cator, a native of Herefordshire, now in her eighty-second year. Miss Cator was trained at Guy's Hospital, and went out to the Crimea, where she displayed great zeal and devotion in nursing our sick and wounded soldiers. Among the patients in ' her charge was Sir Evelyn Wood, V.C.» then a young subaltern. He was practically , given up by the medical officers, bat thanks to Miss Cato's nursing he completely re* covered. Sir Evelyn has never forgotten his qld nurse, and it was through hie in* atrumentality that her Majesty conferred the honour ujjon> her."