WOMEN MIGRANTS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 53, 31 August 1926, Page 9

WOMEN MIGRANTS

BRITISH COMMONWEALTH

LEAGUE

THE POSITION IN NEW ZEALAND,

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON 30th June.

A conference dealing mainly with migration has been in progress in London under the auspices of the British Commonwealth League. This league came into existence about a year ago, and it exists to further the citizen rights of women in all parts of the Empire. It already has groups in New Zealand, Australia (5), Canada, South Africa, Bermuda, and a large association o£ the women of India is affiliated.

The conference opened this year with a luncheon to women members of Parliament—the Duchess of Atholl, Lady Astor, and Miss Ellen AVilkinson. Alluding to her recent visit to Canada, the Duchess o£ Atholl warmly praised the arrangements made v by the Canadian Government for looking after new arrivals in the Dominion. Every woman or girl travelling alone was provided with an escort to her destination and with hostels in which they could temporarily remain. Moreover, they kept in touch with isolated settlers for some three years, and took upon themselves to educate the wives of settlers in the most systematic fashion.

Lady Astor said that her problem as a member of Parliament had been to combine domesticity with public life. If anyone said that women could not join in public life without neglecting their homes, she invited him to come and see her neglected children. All he would find was a neglected mother. (Laughter.) Women had to bring common-sense into public life. There was much sloppy talk and thinking at a time when the world was never in greater need of fundamental thinking. The moral outlook of a nation depended upon its women; yet women were the weakest things in the world when it came to morals. There was a looseness abroad at the present time which threatened civilisation, for chastity was the cement of civilisation.

Miss Wilkinson said she was sometimes a little disappointed with what one could do when one got into the House of Commons. One felt it was so much more important when one was outside it But, at any rate, women there were now treated as a matter of course by the men members, who were just as rude to them as to anyone else. (Laughter.) OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN.

During the conference about thirty delegates spoke and gave valuable information, i'or instance, Miss Gladys Potts OBE spoke on the position of women in England an planning and administering migration. Ladies from South Australia, South Africa, Canada, and Tasmania spoke on the same subject in relation to their respective countries; Lady Galway spoke on England's Need" and Miss Helen Fraser on "The Educated Woman." Delegates described the opportunities for women in the various Dominions. Mr. F. T. Sandford, Director of Immigration in London for the New Zealand, Government, spoke on the facilities for women in the Dominion.

Mr. Sandford gave a very clear statnment of the New Zealand migration policy. He stressed the need for migrants to establish contact with friends befora they set out from this country. Failing personal friends there were such societies as the Y.W.C.A. and the Victoria League which took the responsibiilty of befriending women who wont out to settle in the Dominion. Although, of course, the primary need was for domestic servants, there were a large number of other women going out under the assisted passages scheme". Women with a private income of from_ £150 to £200 a year would find that their incomes would go further in New Zealand than in this country. Mr. Sandford enumerated the reasons. 'Stenographers would have no difficulty in finding suitable employment. Women were not encouraged to take up clerical work. Wellqualified milliners with small capital would have a better opportunity of starting on their own account than they would have here. Opportunities for employment in shops were as good in England as in New Zealand. Qualified nurses would findemployment. Farm girls were not appreciated.

POSITION OF THE EDUCATED GIRL

A number of intelligent questions were asked. Most of the questioners sought for information regarding the opportunities for educated women. The chairman (Mrs. Corbett Ashby) thought that the university trained women were good material to take up domestic and family life. These women came from a class as badly off as the domestic servants. Some of them might have about £100 saved, but they would not go out to the Dominions if they had to spend practically all that nestegg in passage money. She thought the age limit for free passages for girls should bo raised from 18 to 22.

On the whole, the delegates seemed satisfied with the arrangements which tho New Zealand Government have made for the reception of women migrants generally.

M.'ss May Kane (Wellington) has been attev ding the meetings and other functions in connection with the conference. 85, Fleet street.