WANTED:: A WOMAN'S CLUB.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 308, 22 September 1908, Page 3

WANTED:: A WOMAN'S CLUB.

' VIEWS OF CORRESPONDENTS. Dear fMadam,—l was, very. interested in ,- your article " Wanted: A Woman!s Club." • How is it Wellington women have not united oil something more-than • society lines long ere this?. Most certainly, we need, a common ground of meeting'where opinions can ;be expressed untrammelled by r the relationship of guest' and' host,' whero • the few women 'of .similar interests can meet ; for the discussion of their art; their' music, their social or professional It is the only thing to militate against the superficiality engendered by the constant chit-chat'of afternoon teas, where it-is bad manners to get interested in a subject and absorb a guest's attention for the . length-of-time'necessary. to discuss it thoroughly. -The women of Wellington cannot, bo congratulated on tho social work they do. With -the looming elections, why are they not banding- themselves together to work for special candidates ? They are singularly behind, their sisters on the other side of the globe, who evince l far more practical interest though they have not a vote. : Why have they not long ere this done something to keep themselves, abreast of the. modern movement of child study and training to which so much thought'has boon .devoted in other lands? Where'are the civic leagues; prisoners' aid associations, reading unions, the political and art and religious societies that have exercised such powerful.sway in other.nations?.' My short of' Wellington women leads ; me to think that though there is fine stuff in them, -they havo wasted and are wasting their substance from want ,of union of'interests, from self-satisfaction, the great I barrier to all progross, and from ignorance of what is being done abroad. I trust, madam, that your article may be the means of stirring some to:.what wo call in our country the " up-reach."—l am, etc., ;■ ■ BOSTONIAN. Dear' Madam, —As a .constant reader of your column;" I; have to thank you for,- the varied 'iiiformation and the practical suggcstions|that it! invariably contains. In a recent issue of Tnp Dominion I was pleased to note'that you were advocating the formation of that much-needed institution—a Woman's Club' for, Wellington.. That such a club .would dratf together numbers of women with much ill coin in oil who never meet each other must be apparent to all. The keynote of the success of such a cliib was struck in your remark that anything of the nature of a clique . among .the members would spoil the usefulness of the club.

I have'no wish to traverse the Suggestions so: ably .'-made in your article. My object in writing, is to urge that a meeting of women likely to become members should bo called for an. early date, when : the matter would be thoroughly considered.. . . In conclusion, • I desire. to point out thatwomen of leisure could do much to holp in the formation and upkeep of the club you'wishto see; formed. FROM ONE WILLING TO-BECOME - A MEMBER. AN'AUSTRALIAN CLUB'S RULES.Some .of the rules of one women's club, in Australia are-interesting. The club's object is stated to be "to provide a place where womeninterested in public, professional, scientific,- literary, or artistic, .work, may spend _ their leisure moments'! and associate together." . . " , Thej' election of candidates is vested-in the committee. Candidates' for membershTp must be nominated by at least three members, nominations to ,bo posted at the club seven days beforj election, in order that any members objecting to the election may have an opportunity to send in their objections to ,the secretary. All such objections to be,stated cleirly in writing, with reasons 1 given, and signed by the member'objecting before being submitted to the" consideration of the committee.' The fee for membership shall be one guinea per annum paid in advance and the-entranco fee.' five shillings; country-members to be exempt from entrance fee, and to pay-half a guinea subscription per annurn for membership. Except at a business meeting of the club each ordinary member shall have the privilege- of introducing one friend at a time. The same visitor shall not be introduced to tho club more'than once within one month by the same person. Tho committee alone shall have power to hold parties, public meetings, or "at homes;" in the club rooms.The privilege of honorary membership may be granted by ■ the. committee (a) .to any' ■woman of. distinction who may bo visiting the city,7(b); to private friends-of members visiting them from other towns if the consont of three members of ccmmittce has been obtained, and this honorary membership shall be for one. month, but may be extended in any particular case at the discretion of the committee., It ,is ' said that . designers of women's! dresses_ in the large Now. York- houses are much in - demand,. and get from -£400 to £4000 a year. .The call for ready-made garments grows, greater every year, while cus-tom-made garments have fallen. 30 per cent; within a snort time. Motives of economy and the excellence of tho present ready-made costumes have brought about the change. Queen Alexandra attended a ' Mansion House fete in London.- One of tho tiny flower girli, as the Queen went by, put up her wee mouth' for a kiss, which she received. "Molly!" gasped her astounded mother, after the distinguished visitor had passed on, "how could you?" Molly-gave a good, reason,, "I fought," said sho, "it ud bo intercstin' to toll my grandchillern." The commercial side of tho wild animal is often more familiar to people'than its natural habits. A case in'point'was that of a little boy who. recently paid his first visit to the. Melbourne Aquarium. • He was much taken with tho. crocodile, and talkdd a good deal about it on returning home. "What ill this crocodile'like?" asked his father, affecting ignorance. "Oh;"-said the child, "it's a -long -animal with' pocket-books stuck all over it."