WOMEN AND SOCIALISM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 224, 15 June 1908, Page 2

WOMEN AND SOCIALISM.

A CHALLENGE TO MR. WILFORD, M.R \ She appears to be just a young lady with a fresh complexion, regular features, and a pleasant smile. Yet she has dared to hurl a challenge at the head of no less a personaga that Mr. Thomas Wilfojd, M.P. She was tho principal speaker at ,tlie, .Socialist party's meeting in His Majesty's'Thcatro;last night. The comrade who presided introduced her as - Miss Powell, and expressed tho conviction ; that she had lots of that, the fronts! lobe's of her brain were/.well developed. Sha told her large and sympathetic audience that ; she, was a native of Ballarat, and had spoilt about two years organising'tjio Labour move- ■ mont ajid; speaking ofp Socialism in New South Wales and Vict^ia, At the outset of headdress, Miss Powell - confessed .to soma disappointment with tho : . position of Labour in the Dominion. , Trades Unionism was not, sucbr;a power here as sho had. expected. a- Miners' Union of i SOO mombors," which seemed to hor to be'practically nothing: more than a benefit' society, and it. was-thq, owners that got the benefit, foßi'the Union.simply .-kept;tha workers in repair for. 'tfieih. Altogether, her study of conditions in Zealand had convinced her that Socialisnj; was badly needed. Tlie speakeri.went'on to,repeat and repudiate some, of_thp ; ,definitions of Socialism given by anti-Socialists. Tlijit was' where sha reached tho subject of Mr. Wilford, M.P., and his speech" of last Ivrittay nirlit. ' Loud applause.greeted,,her statement that if Mr. Wilford would,coin? fony f nrd and/debate the >, question of Socialism wHth . her, she y," oil Id be delighted to mee±,him,,on the.platform. , Socialism had .been well _ defined, by. ail. American writer: socialised production, socialised distribution,-socialised ownorship, and socialised management" Tho " Encyclopaedia Britannica '■' s t :yd tjiat the ethipal basis of Socialism; was identical with th?, .ethical : basis of Christianity"--Socialism-; was.'' tha scientific .Adjustment;! of '-industry! s 'It war ycoming, as. surely, as .day, followed night. Sh(, claimed that' the; position, of women . would b« greatly improved,,pnde'£ Socialism..-; Women would not. bo fprced .for'half the j wages of men, : ,or.'driveft^',as'an .alternative, to accept the first,., and possibly :.unsuitablo, offer of marriagp./ynder-&cialism, a.woman ' would be : economically "independent, aud ■ would thus be able to best to carry , out all her. work as a. wojpan. ' 111-assorted .unions- would be, not perhaps impossible, but would bo reduced to a, minimum.:. Hpme and social!, life would . be... far ; ljptt;bj;.:a'nd .happier, "and tho people would becopo jjiore truly ro- "T ligious. . Questions were asked.;VOne .'comrade. demanded to know whether";' Socialism would ■' destroy, the marriage . tiop-.'jMws 'Powell, rer, plied: " Where do;you" find'the.greatest proportion of. divorces the Social- , ists or the a'nti-Sociah'sts? r i't%k you know .tho answer. Socialism would not destroy: the. marriage' tieit'Would make it about a hundred times stronger." . . Othor queries and replies: 'JWho would do the dirty work under Socialism?"—" The.vs wouldn't be much work to .flo','' and what ' there was would be done bjy machinery." :/"-Would thero.be an increase.of tho birth-' ■ rate under Socialism?"—"l.dbn!t know." ; ! "How would Socialisnj solve .the' drink ques< ; question?'!—" By making' thejedrinkvpure:" (Applause.)' -j

; • Many other questions were asked, most cf them by comrades who ;seeihedr , .to know the answers beforehand, but wanted other peopla to be enlightened. Miss Powell was keot busy • explaining until; 10 o'clock,.. and, then asked to. be excused from. giving- the recite' tions which she.had promised". ;r;n