GIRLS AND MOTHERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 512, 20 May 1909, Page 5

GIRLS AND MOTHERS.

SOCIAL EVOLUTION: ON INCORRECT LINC9. » DOMESTIC ECONOMY. Ut i fcLEbit Ai'll—i itfest Awtotfutlo-M* , ' . Dunodin, May 19. :■ ' W-meeting of- liie • (iotioty' t'6r -iho'' Promotion ot the health of Women aitd Cliil* 'Was lieldto-da'y/and- was attended by a •v-;large-numberof jnHuential'cltizehb. ..v':' V;:-. : • . C. , liatcholdi'. jjiivu- ah address ro•i dttir—• to "...the; - QUtStion_ ot fthjlu-bijilrlngj hd asliccl werotiio of.?lifu iis;jivdd ! P. r °lwslt)ri of ; tln) yotlnj;. women, of. the Do;wliit was 'tlio iriain ;V;;furieW£m:;;flf -fr6iiidhJii&ndj; thf .'felsiiia .of a' tiiitl yiabi ollS iUcti - .'/is it hoc ratlioi; alwgetnfer' pU&lifel ,lKto' mid , ,maup totally li iccdudaryconsideration?" ho fiflu; lilftot.herisuecoss in itimo' pro-' : fe&mrijv'df in somo cierksiiif). ■br similar v /.■position;'.--wliicliensures' immeuiale ! ■; object of ;lif© for. the; tAcljd>ity of girfa ?V He ' W 'fully- M sympathy with/tho higlier edUcation of nomen, ijtovx'ed it lvaij conducted , on fdasbiiable. line-V but ho contended that ■ esstafonl physiological principles, wdro totilly . flystenr Gufcourdged and inVitcd young iVoinen to enter li qourso of study for whjoli nature I l o .Y.®fc m .'? 3n! 'cd thorn. Up'to a certain ■ ngej < . eayi jto the twelfth or thirteenth year, lioy6 ! ■ .and;:i>ifls- coilld bo- tauitht together in tno ■ fiamO'classM < ivith advantages but after that ago/their. courgo •of studies. snould: bbsoltftoly' divefgo. Continuing, Dr. Bitcllelor said i .When wc sei young women competing With . niertrin the jlnivorsities;. when .wo."sm them entering professions, clerkships, offiecsj and .tho like, and when work in factories is largely ■ v conducted : by fomalo.Jaboui 1 , one-cannot but' ...realise that'social ovoiutjon is progressing oil indorrect'lincs.i and is..diverging fUrtlmr and furthor frbm homo life, which tends to the .roaring.- of - a healthy : popillatiohi ■: Tho ~ :»peakoif reforred-to tho qascS of numbers of , yoting' women sufforihg from uervotis weak- .. nesses. nnd ( Ehe lilto, and their fiubaqqjlont lnstory. .If they married, despite tho fact that th 6 practitioner l\aß bhtter «quip])Ld to-dny of tliirty yctiTß ago, tho "Vfre ;iio,ibbttef, its {regavdsj materllal. fd ihfniit nioftality ( and tfero ltnot for tho -v boncficolit - aatoguard. afforded by ahtisoptios tjierovfould bo. little doubt thd tnorfalitv of . child-birth iTould be higher tjian it was half . a, century aso. As a reslilt of Ills expenonbo, ; tuo. conclusion ■: forced upon Imn m rcgard'to women entering tho mtdlcai professioii was that, only in; a fejtf/vdry exceptional . ;■ cases ti-orb wimen suited for the prcfcssioil, twhicp .niade Wch incessiliit denKiflds- oii. the . it-. - fapt ih&i/.youhg vv-orheri • eh-; toreo' clerkships and /.the like;- scorned . largely attributablo .to the e;htcfiiiuii';il system that . did not . aim, at preparing uirls/ for. domostic , /life, -bilt,.attempted to trhin-them to pass • a useless -■ matricillatjon .examination to gratify rtistaken..parental pride, or to piako o; utilversltJ; degree tlio : Silminit ,6f Ambition.'. Its tendeiicy was already etefcisitig a rnaliEn and faMdachmg in -the .social. life 1 ' " of tno cSrtimiimly. :■ . Regarding domestic lie said aftel puberty l thp ; 'edUcitioh : ' of' ! : girls'.•should' ; be clilefl) I '. difcbted to domestic .; j niaiiaigomdtitj;dbtiiostio iecondniyi' pliysioloej, possible foi- the :■ btaje.stflibolsj tcohnical jschoolß/j'dud iiiiivcrs* : : ft.V-rtO'devilid,; a Avllerouy' dbhioktic. might bo systematically taiiglit 'fif®/!?®"■ eliifitii|oo{lig/a certain ; standard of. ciiloieiicy,' nhd in lis cu&ul'C t-ho' V' improved sfcatljs? \ (ioriccssioiis iiijist bfc inado (o nieet ' ■ :i Dr. liatchelor Went oil to to* -V;' : l? r ;fMtio.iUn66ttite..tohri<:.t().tlib xastiSj and' • haphazard manner iil frhiSh ilareiits allowed m; ;. QMignters .to . .enter , ii:airi!lioiiy Without tnought of echitiny as ; tb ; tho3fitness, of tho ? -? n , i' He unhesitotincly - asserted : that • eiiterwl. niarried - J>ok,,ui, a. lit i.bbhditioli -to•' do ■ so. h hat valid objection! ho nskel, collld bo StatOf deiiiaHdins':' that every . to. liiedicM • >. : : wllt ' h . ft™ .'.certify as to flluesp, or other- ' lliiSjo? 0111aln Mdorfied all that Dr. .. Hatch, elor. had said, and quoted opinions from i : ' M". shownw uhat - tho trend of fcelinii tflero was decidedly lii faMir. of dblitoatia BUbjccts Heinj;.tauKiit to.jtirls. . . . . _ Mr. Jas. Alien, Mil',, paid nothing had so -impressed.him ,for tittle as Dr JBitchc-' • lots r address, 'lie.thought it was,:fciitio out®po.ken like .thraft. wbrb.idveh, aridho ; iva.vof opinion- that, P-o work of the "society 'should be reflected in PifliamqHt. Mr. 6. M, Tlmmsoni MjP.j fipeakinn; ns chairman b! the. Tcchnieftl gd/iriol, /taked tiiaf ■ ; Wb-?otjiinittco.'bo .app'ojhtotlftd cdnfer ttnth '.;'W«-W,roi^ t th''.'rogard l .tb'Mnng .thetcncjilng ...> ?' domestic economy put Upon a'; sound foot:r.ln that- institution 'they -hod' been- try-1 !»>*?£-.f 6, »®iye»w to• accolriplish .tliiit,- but : tHe:syllabus;Wa3 so fari-unSatlßfactory in that - •; ro6pefrt. v v.