TRAINING THE GIRLS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 86, 4 January 1908, Page 11

TRAINING THE GIRLS.

A SYDNEY SCHEME.

The 'Women's Patriotic..- Club -I'bf: Sydney, : - already, an .important factor in. education' of women in matters political; has,evolved.. a scheme, to. train -State girls for. domestic, ser-! rice,.., The: project:lias been., well', thought out-, and 'it is!;hoped. soon .to giye . practical; effect- to it, ■ -" .' s r ,.;,'' It is generally admitted .that,! the" State Children s Relief Board . does; 'nofc ; gb; far. enough, in dealing with-the. girls' future.;. The Women's Patriotic' Club proposes; to'.' feupijly; tho missing link- and turn.- the best, material to . tho -best advantage in the interests ; of; the, community. The Board's. practicßj is to apprentice.-the gir]s to certain! familes. at the. age of: 12 years:: 'Aft-er five'years',,service they, are thrown upon their for'gpod or evil, and usually/without ,having, become, efficient domestics.- .. : ! . ;•■

! .The basis of .the new schpme is.to..provide,' as. a . starting point,- ,a- home for ,- 26 State girls, to be selected, by' the :' Statp,',Children's Kelief Board. ' It- is desired to have 20 girls over U."years .of age, and .six: over six years of age.. A plan has been ..discussed: with the President and the Senior Insjieotor.of, tho State-Children's Belief ißoard, and''bears the impress of their.apprbvaJ, 'subject to tho arrangement-' of details: ! The''' .Women's' Patriotic Club has also put : the!, matter: bp:' ford th'o'Minister for Public Iristructiori| who : considers the -scheme sound in.- theoryltis a gucation'of policy,-however, and'?nothing-definit-e on behalf, of the Govemment may bo said till the Cabinet has examined 4 the; proposal.

■ ThG Club has. suitablo . premises "in view at Botany,,.and the other business details are \iYelhadvariced. - It will bo th§:Club's object, to train girls for dpniest-io'service!.in-homes: governed .by moderate .means. A special, study N will be-njade.of each l ;girl's: aptitude" for particular work... Besides paid . matrons,• who-will attend, to admiriistrativo matters." and,- initiate t-ho girls into the subtleties, of; regular household, routine, honorary teachers from the' ladies' committeo .will devote tbenisblv.es to teaching those having .a_ bent for dress-making, 'millinery, professional cooking, and the. like. .Working along.'these practical lines,.it is.hoped to givo, facilities to tlio more brainy girls to -. develop any, special' faculaties naturo may have "endowed them .with'. v - . , . , !

; - lii 'proposing to admit children of-sis',to .the home. the. Club lias u wise object iii view. Thcso little ones will need care, and ' protection, and ,tUo opportunity will: at. ones be presented to. the . elder . girls with, philoprogenitive instincts to como;'forward. hi this way it. is hoped to bring out. somo very efficient andrclhible nursemaids, a class of girls always hard to obtain. "

Ono of tho chief objects which the promoters havei.in view is ■to remove the girls from the atmosphere of' SUto institutions, efface* from them the stigma of State apprenticeship, and make them self-supporting and self-. 1 respecting members of tho community. Whilo instructing the girls in domestic duties their education wiil.npt be forgotten. The ordinary public school course will be instituted and,taught by a.competent school mistress; and, in order, that all tho girls may bo sust' tained physically fit, calisthenics will be part>of the regime. .' Tho girls f ultimatcly: turned out as efficient' should have three desirablo qualilicationsVa Stato school education,' physical health, and a thorough tic training. . ' _ The probationary;term laid down,for the girls is tbreo years. ' As a general rule, each, girl wiir undergo a 12 months' instructional course at the'home.

A girl having completed ' her 12 months' probationary course to tho satisfaction of the committee, will .bo found a place in soirio approved household. " The greatest care will bo exercised in. placing, girls thus,-as it is desired that tlioir education shall go on and not retrogress. . The girls, will continue under the guardianship of .the' committee for three, years from the data of entering the homo. Ample provision is made to ensure to the, girls fair play and protection until they are out of their tutelage, able to "care for. themselves.. The proposed apportionment. of. wages, earned _ % . the girls during apprenticeship is as follows per eent. to the home. 25 per cent, to bo banked in the girl's name, 25 iier cent, pocket inoney, and 25 per cent, for clothing.. . Tho certificates of. competency it is proposed, to issuo comprise two classes. Tirst-

grado certificates will ilbe issued ito: general;!?, , sorvanfcs for • proficiencj'r! rat cooking-; ana-, genernl competency. Such .'certificates will en- v '• titlo them to wages Irom'lOs to* 12s per week. -Second-grade, certificates to:-general servants will denote competency in-cleaning, , - scrubbing, washing, anil ironing The wages -. m this grado.will range from 8s to 10s. per week „ The third-grade certificate in the > ; same class the: holder ■is ablo lo scrubbing, and ordinary v v. , washing,- and; that sho is; capable, of eainmg v'M from 6s. to 7s.- per week. The second-class of certificates nil! be, specially issued for' . * proficiency in laundry work. ,Tho, first- ; grade.certificate.in -this..-.class will attest. general competency in ;regard ; to .-.blouses, skirts;-' shirtscollars;' : ;fetc.y?^nd;;tbe';holder; of. a- firstrgrado: certificate .in - both "will be entitled to from I<U to 16s per J . v \ week. J.The,second-grade.certificate.in the'v second-class, will .be" a; with respccjb to ironing- household linen- and oroinary, wearing' ■ apparel. * v The "possessor* :,v;.4i?V; - of SGCond-grado..certificates'm-.' both::clasEea '- ;-.. i,'' ! "- will bo deemed to be worth • from 12s. >to 14s. per,-..week.. No certificates are to bo issued,. v however,Mmlnss. the- girl has bad at. least • ' T-, ■ six. months', tuition'in' the'home;and>'then''-aw thenssne will' he subject- to' tho progresa ' - i •; ports being favourable ■, t >: -..A final. scheme of; ways and' means has not ;•; ' yet .been:adopted,, as it remains to be seen. - .-;i: ;■ what'.the Government raay .be wjlhns' to do. ' So confident-are:the promoters that the sene^" ; ■"'T:-.r-r, ral scheme will •be carried,. to successful ac- f > vi complishmont v ihat . they, are determined •< to i f-T go';on' with/it,';c'ome: ; what.;'ma^.Viv;lt-.^^is'hopedjij nevertheless, < that ■ the , Government-'will be -• s 1 1 . able ;to see its. way'.to contribute £15per" annum m. respect of every -girl"' taken from -■■ wfe tho State Clifldron's Relief Board. 1 • The I sum.named-is'.what.-it now : costs-the'Govern-^' meilt- per-head-.for-.oach girl •' kept ■ by. tho'.' State.-t The Government would lose to some ; 1 ■!! extent on the' transaction, as ' a girl costs ' ■ r . 'tho State nothing' while- out at-service. But. ; -ii the'appeal.-for State -..aid' - "befits U'and(ends') tb ere;j-vv-.The'; total;.' proßablei'ex^nditure'.r 1 is-j./r'';; , set. down- at £459 per; annum..';: l Of-that-sum :■'»! £390 will-bo raised if tho Government agrees " j ' to the State Children's Relief Board con- l ! , tril3Utingaon^the:;basis.:pf';tSe:£lS.:^.,head ; £69, for the. scheme 1 " > are:.willing to.-maie.. it^"■good;.".. ;They are - ■ ready: to go; further.' if. neoessary, but thua .' - - ihe matter stands;at present; .• ;- fo-ii '(I ?-jK'? ,- In,- addition .-to : hygienic walls .'.and', floors,;- . sanitary'pictures,are usc.dnn. up-to-date. ;;-i pitals -■ nowadays: Tbey.- ;are' made of ; tiles, and "arc. to be seen m. London. They ' . .. J 'are-'washed,-lite, of : ;tBe ; cost'£loo.v.'Fifty pounds»bare>been- promised, -, -v i if-the'remaining'£6o; can: be collected. . Tho ; pictures -would he hung, or,- rather, . inlaid,'-.' ; ; in tjie Sydney Hospital ' ;. Racial: feeling -linss broken . out., in a - new- - 'v ,'tho action , ! of -the .late, Augustus Str-. the American,;.sculptor, ,in —talnng • 'as 'ihw-. ; - v- ; model for the figure on the new- issue of go'd 1 ' ■ coins' ;a,ipret-ty,;yd.ung 'Irish; waitress-, - and(thii;' Independent ■ Order of Americans - has ■ made ?*-: v ; formal*protest;;against : 'tlie lnddeU.b^ng;other"i -i ? than an - American. ;If the purpose were fxi ;' ; aid the researches of future antiquarians >m' - : -} their ethnographic ■ studies 1 of ' the "' nativii Ji' ". i Americans ; wlieiv they ; dig up coins- of this '■' age, the .protest might have some basis of.' . s , common sense, but it is hard- to regard, as.; % rational a ■ protest aimed at the pretty face "?; ? and .figure of a• girl so nearlv akin in race .l- "v; to the American.. Had the choice fallen .on : ■a' girl; of- a thoroughly ■. alien race, -Italian,■ ■ ■ •.t Jew, Negro, or-Japanese, the unfitness;woulf • ,t have 'been, so extreme as to justify dissatis :'v faction.''. • : ' .; '• '-ij-