THE MODERN WOMAN

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1589, 5 November 1912, Page 3

THE MODERN WOMAN

ADDRESS BY BISHOP CROSSLEY. ; SUFFRAGETTES AND WAIHI.

1 '(By Telegraph,—Siiecial Correspondent.) Auckland, November 1. A sermon on "The Modern Woman" was preached last night at St. Sepulchcre's Church by the Anglican Bishop of Auckland (Dr.' Crossley). The sermon was intended as a preface to tho Girls' Friendly Society conference week. In his opening remarks Dr. Crossley that we wero living in an ago of societies, 'iho old religious communities wore being supplanted by societies with, initiative aims. There were societies against drunkenness, war, gambling—in fact, against, everything excopfc lying. His Lordship said there were protective societies, too, but the only society for the women of the fntoo was the Girls' Friendly Society. The Bishop said there were those who deprecated the fuss made about the modern woman. Some maintained that woman s place in nature was unalterable and that the modern woman wfls only a phase which would rectify itself. "The modern woman," the Bishop said, "is divisable into two classes—the unemployed and the employed. Those mio are not wage-earners by necessity think that the emancipation of woman began through them." The Bishop argued that the contrary was the case. The emancipation of women could be traced from the wage-earning class of women. To prove this ho showed how sick nurses vindicated a jiew position for women in-'paid occupations, and how their inevitable reception into the medical profession, was quickly followed by their invasion of the office iind the telephone room.' Not without a great struggle did women win their way to the front in Education. In New Zealand it looked more than likely that they would hold their own.

"This forced entrance into competition with man," he continued, "has changed woman's sphere. Woman cannot jostle [nan in all walks of life without demanding the same freedom and right, but there is this great distinction to bo remembered —the wage-earning women create their own spheres of activity, espeoially in medicine and education. The non-wttgo-earners do not erfiate their own spheres. They seek to he rivals of men. Witness the formation of women's clubs, tho forced athleticism of girls and women," The Bishop said he was satisfied with woman's right and ability to use tho plats form. _ Logically the right to vote follow- ; ed this concession, but that would inevitably lead to lie right to sit in Parliament, which he did not think suitable. "Two examples bf the . modem woman," continued the Bishop,, "have lately been beforo the eyes of the world—'the Suffragettes in England, and the Waihi women in New Zealand.■ . The former starving or ill-used, but preaeli tho gospel .of destruction. of properly and assault to secure a 1 political end. The probable outcome of their gospel would be anarchist outrages like those in Russia, or the ferocities of the Turks' in Bulgaria. The Waihi women, though nsing language that does not mnke pleasant reading", do just what their sister Suffragettes do in supporting the wage-earners. It must be remembered that the women of New Zealand have liberty, a oertafn freedom from competition, and the vote. Common .sense in New Zealand would counter the extravagant theory of the equality of the sexes. I do not want to see the equality of sexes.' I want to see women remain superior to. man in those Qualities which he lacks, and which are, so essential to her own womanhood. These qualities, which can bo summed in the words .'home, wife, mother, and child,' can be best trained and' cajed for in, the woman of.to-morrow by sympathetic co-operation and help. This is the aim and object of the Girls' Friendly Society."