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Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14667, 16 May 1913, Page 6

A clever Wellington lady. Miss Mary Richmond, has been attempting the difficult problom of putting mankind and womankind in their respective places. Most women will agree that Mrs Pankhurst would not make as good a Prime Minister as Mr Asquith or Mr Balfour, but wo can imagine a good deal of feminine dissent from Miss Richmond's bold attribution of "a pathetic want of originality" to her sex. In order to

illustrate her point, she mentioned that man makes woman's clothes, and even dictates the shape of her hats. It is man who invents tho cradles and go-

carts, and even tho socks and shoes which tho babies wear. "I don't blame man for this," sho added, "1 simply admire him." This is very interesting, if true, and men will strut tho more bravely for knowing it. But as proof of woman's "want of originality" it is not very convincing. What could bo more original than the methods of the malignant suffragettes, or more imaginative? Perhaps, however, we should distinguish between "constructive" originality, which is man's kind, and the "destructivo" kind, which is the suffragette's-

It was not, however, merely to complain that he designs the hats and then growls at them, that Miss Richmond conceded so much to man. She wishes women "to turn their minds to those subjects in which they are fitted by Nature to excel man—subjects to which in tho main they aro still indifferent," as: health, education, charitable aid, the problem of poverty, tho need of individual thrift and competency, and tho adequate control of environment. Really, it is asking too much of us to ask us to believe that tho vast problems in all these fields arc more likely to yield to a feminine key than to a rnasculino one. If woman could solve those problems, man would have nothing left to do but design more hats. But we catch the idea. Miss Richmond wishes that women as a sex shall take a more real interest in the more human and immediate weaknesses of the social organism. Man will bo very glad of their help, and of their point of view, for tho more serious workers there aro in theso fields the better.

It is not very likely tbnt tho New Zealand will be visited again by such an enormous crowd as swarmed to Lyttelton yesterday, but thero are multitudes yet to visit the ship, and wo would suggest a slight but very desirablo amendment of tho wharf arrangements. Those who have visited the ship must feel very grateful that once inside tho barrier their worries aro over; it would, everyone now sees, have been intolerable if one half of the pier were occupied by ordinary shipping work. But outsido tho barrier thero is room for improvement. Yesterday the crowd at 1.30 p.m. did not know which gate would bo opened, and thero was much unnecessary crushing. The crowd had to manage itself, for tho police wore mainly inside the barrier, whore they were not required. It is desirable that the entrance and the exit should bo clearly marked, and that tho police should, at tho busiest times, give their attention to imarshalling tho visitors into something like a large queue.

The local experience of "Children's Bay" on the warship will incline most Christen urch people to wish success to the proposal , that the school children of Dnnedin and Otago should be brought by train to visit the ship as she lies at the wharf in Lyttelton. There ,iro difficulties in flic way, but none that cannot be surmounted by a little enthusiasm and goodwill. It is quite certain that, only a few children will bo able to see the ship as she lies off the Otago Heads, even if the weather is absolutely perfect; and the chances are very strongly in favour of such weather conditions as will make it impossible for any children to make a visit. Between going to Timaru and coming to Christchurch thero is Ho very great difference from the paronts' point of view; and it will bo infinitely easier for tho children to board the ship safely and conveniently at Lyttelton than at Timaru. The Government will do its part in transporting the youngsters, and the Mayor, Mr Holland, has found, as tho result of enquiries, that the people of this city will look after them. For the sake of tho young folk wo hopo that if arrangements cannot bo mado it will not be for want of prompt action either at this end or in Dunedin.