THE MODERN WOMAN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 652, 1 November 1909, Page 4

THE MODERN WOMAN.

HEK ACTIVITIES. - j , • Qne of tho latest women's associations in ■ England is'tho Federation of. University Women, which is designed with & fonrfold object: >To form an association which can express tho opinion of the whole body of university women and take action on any matter of importanco to them; to stimulate their interest in' municipal and pnbho affairs; to prove a means of co-operation and communication between the members' of different and to onconrage independent research work by women. The federation was formed at a meeting held recently in Manchester, which was, attended by delegates .representing practically all the university women in the country. The qualification for membership is on a graduate basis; only women' with a university degreo or its equivalent, or who .are registered doctors or dentists, or who havo taken Oxford: honours moderations, are eligible for membership, though; under certain conditions and regulations, associates and honorary members may bo admitted, v The federation hopes to found fellowships of tho annual value of '£150, J tenable, at'some 'university or place suitable for conducting research work; and as another branch of its work, the federation will: collect and publish statistics affecting'; university women. It would surely., be of , somo advantage to New Jfoal&nd women graduates if they wero to form an' association among themselves and become 'affiliatedh with the British Federation.

;; Sydney, a city . that uceady.; possessed thrco .women's clubs, iias noiv'.&ddcd u.fourth to tho list; This is tho Womer. Teachers' Club, and it is .instituted,- not iot the; pursuit of culture or discussion of educational work, but wholly and solely for pleasure and recreation. The State school teachers have, it secm3, for ajong time wanted to have .some place other than a'street corner or tea-fooin, where they {could-meet and; talk with their friends, ana they have .therefore -formed what is-'rcally a Saturday .Club, aiid havo for the .'whole of the day rented the rooms of the Patriotic Club, an arrangement that will suit : the teachers well, and probably inconvcnienco the Patriotic Club members very little. .

■ . Two Manchester; ladies have started a movement for popularising artistic, simple' druses; "believing that ; there is a st;ong .feeling in the minds, of many, people in favour of a simpler, but at the same timo artistic, mode of dross." This scheme was initiated two years ago, and they have so far progressed that' they, havo bton able to.employ, a London agiint, and to send, a very, interesting, -exhibit : to the Exhibi-tion-'of- Women's .Work 'Keld in London a short tinio ago. ' They base their, scale of -charges for. their frocks tipen the amount of time spent in the making; ....

.! Every week seems to bring proof that, whatever the sins of the suffragette may be, her p.iinishment>is . meted out vritli .'a i violenco. mid /brutality . thnt would ' disgrace a medieval ? Govern® eht. Saturday's cable '• told' kcjj one woman - .prisoner, after barricading herself into her cell, was hosed by the. warders for an hour, and that they then broke open heif cell door. 'To 'drenohed with co!d water for 'au hour at'this time of year, the very .endof. October, 'must have been' ai:torture almost beyond'rbearjng.' The ea]blSpram suggests, that, this story is not authenticated, but it will bo remembered that nol denial was made of ,tbat;;other:CTuel,story of the forced feeding of : , the-suffragettes who refused to take food. Ilad' .theranthprittfis on''tho'sb' 6ccasions' waited until■the prisoners,; wore in danger of doing them-; selves : sorioiis injury, perhaps oho could hardly have , protested .aiainst-tho 'feeding by- coercion, ■' but from'the cables'it appeared that this vio-. leiit method was resorted : .to donp;'before it' ,could .have,..been ..considered necessary, i People'have fyieii k'nora'to'starve to death in ' ten ,days, .though many: have lived for' a mnph longer, time.than -that without..food, .but .there was no fear-that after four ;dnjs abstention: froni foody-.'tho womfcfi' suffratrette pcisonors' would ;h&ve winged'their from thisworld ;of irijustice3,and iniequaliticSy v ;v-V-'

Medioinei as "a profession- for-women is ..b&rhors . popular;, every . year," :,says the. 'warden and secretary of the.: Koyal l ; rco Hospital, the great training ground in 'London for women doctors. " There arc, now more posts," •the statement "then there ao women' to; 211.. them." This' is.iiartly'.-becauso < the' prejudice..against .women. doctors—a prejudice . at. first l.yery. strong ' and persistent—is!'gradually ."'dying-out, and some women doctors have now: very: large practices. Then again the new requirements of the Board of Bduca-. tionjjfor 'tne.'inspection' of- school children; have created a large demand for: women doctors,: for this is an aspect of the work with: which, they, aire peculiarly fitted-to deal. Australia already I .has-its.'women , medical inspec- 1 tors ,of school' children;' 1 -There- are threo of' ihetiy in Victoria,stwo in.Naw South Wales, and-one in Tasmania. The work: of„the medical inspector -is interesting, and :in ! addition to wiitcnine .the conditioncni 'tho reporting; on unfavourable ;':ondi-' tions tho dofctor gives addresses on hygiene to'tho pupils, or: perhaps to" the teachers themselves.' , The salary . is, good/ from .StOO. to £500 'a year, and it may be noted that women doctors:: in these, positions receive: as : much as men! for medicine:>is:'the" onei. profession open ;'t3 women, where at present-there'is no regard co sex when salaries are >in question.