THE SCHEME O THINGS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 56, 15 September 1928, Page 14

THE SCHEME O THINGS

%. (By M.H.C.) —" Few people realise : tha.t child-mar-4iage is quitp.as\-inifning-'u question in Palestine as.,in India, but according to ■% well-known wome,h's paper, it ..is so, Iftnd it is-stated that" girls of .ten-years »rd sold in^ jin^riage in the present day. Another Ihlng'-'realised, in reading the pory, is tho fact that the efforts of -ifromen to get- such necessary reforms '■even as the»raisj.n'g'oftho marriage age, lire hampered by the indifference oi' She powers that:.be, or by absolute obstruction from /the ' :Xt appearsithat thfe Palestine Jewish '^omen's ,^lqual Eights Association was founded1 ..^ii" 11919,- and almost immediately began; its campaign against child jjharriage.7- they were met Jjy the assertion that physical;; dovclopihent wa'sj mOre rapid there than in more 3temporat'<?) cllniates —as; if that were %a excuse! .for plunging- little. ones of ifen or twelve years of age into marliage. This "association had the matter investigated, and leading Arab physieifans put the .marriageable ago at 14 at She earliest, and/ that. of. sArab girls Somewhat :higlier." It/was found that Jfherc wore iio-civil laws about marri:age; it wa&.jgovcrned entirely, by religijcius cou"r.t^V an(l an. appeal , to. them •Jjrought'fprth -ttio'promise; that marriages ofj'girls nndcr 16 would not be .allowed. . the child marjfiages continued- A lest case made was iithat of :£ chifd. of' i 2 to ; : ail elderly iftan, and, though the women were well .inpporteilj.^thg1 eliild.:VTvas 'married, for jfcho man hii4vsh^.lawon.his wde. The matter wi(s. "Brought-,before the woman's conference at Rome, and resolutions agaijnst child marriage were forwarded to'thVXeague of Nations;-.with JKhe additionf.vthat the age..':of ..consent should be'iixed at 16, or preferably at 18 years.' r-Juvestigation wi}s:.-.pr,pinised, Hind has -taj<en''|jlace in 57VSta$es£but £ho .writer l'adds:s "In Palestine nfeanSrhile notiiiiig was Idone and everytyiing ,fras leftC'ti timfiand education. Time Beems sliprt to onlookers, but long to those who suffer, and cducation.ps the tfiopc that in two or threo generations 4shere will probably-! bo a chaiige for the better." Tho women feel that the physical, mental, and moral health of these children is being damaged; and tlie quiet patience of their hope that ■£in two or three generations"1 tilings jnay be amended to bring justice and to the little ones, to Western ideas seems simply pathetic. But the •tVestern women know what it is to york and/wait and fail and try .again, *nd so their deep and understanding sympathy will be. with their Bastcin sisters. ;i' "i i-.-j ?. * f-.;;". »y ' .i;- ■- '■ ■' ,<j;'Quite an interesting-.account comes ■irom an English paper of the' establishment of "Fathers' Meetings," carried on "in the same lines as the "Mothers' 'Meetings/'-which have been tho subject of many irreverent jokes in times past. .The ides originated .in Canning Town Women's'' 'Settlement (London), •'where ■a group of men, hearing enthusiastic •comment on the talks they were receiving from the woman doctor in charge of tte Mothers' and Infants' Clinic, asked if the doctor would not give them some falks too. The doctor gladly assented, "and at the end of the. course: a group of a dozen men or so got- tdgetHer and jßecided-%tQj iforiu *a committeo among Themselves and to- organise a regular Bourse for young husbands and fathers ■during the. winter.. The thing ■ went %ell. A class of about 70 -mcv 'students appeared, and ever since this class has been- a regular feature of fhe Canning settlement. It has had a iharked effect on the ideals of citizenShip held by the members of the class, particularly in their conception of tho iiort of men and women who should be Wected to public bodies having the care Uf the homes and health of the people. SjVoin ti small;beginning therefore ha's «[ome the- nucleus of what some day ffiight.be a great movement, for it has' always 'seemed a, "lap-sided" idea thatl)ic whol^responsibility of the healtli '8f the household should be that of the mother^ There is, every reason why the Satherl, of /families should bo perfectly fit peopJer-.in'ishkring1- ih'e ■ heavys-respon-sibility which the careful. up-bringing »f a family necessitates. Nothing, perjSaps,.ismore ; wearing to tho. nerves .and strength'than ■continual attendance on, and association with" children, this"being proved by the arrangement/which is universal all over the world,'"'thai teachers must have. = three months' holiday each year. This is quite as necessary for them as-jfttr. the children, perhaps oven more Sfj/V The mothers of families need just- 'as,.,iiinch ;relaxation if they are to-prove -fit, and efficient people. The «l(U'k]ea and custom that mothers musti?%dJ should bo always off duty was a ' ; most - mistaken and mis--chievous one,!: and-'lias lj'sen tlic means of wrecking,- health'^'and spoiling the" tempers of couritftsy'Wom'en as well as tliose of their familits,.fo'r no ojic can be supervised by, a -thoroughly fagged out being without- suffering in a nunir ber of directions/ Itis^to' be supposed that the result" pf-the- Canning Settlement lectures£to'. men wpnld be that' they will reah£e-*£hat''.d-\>fife can only efficiently do the .Avork '-oi ' one person, that to be on duty,if oi- practically the whole day and. flight When sickness or other trouble is about is asking top much even of mothers. The very facS't that generosity'jan.d kindness were exercised would be a'marvellous help, to tired bodies and minds. It was r proved at Canning that the men were not in the least callous,,'but simply ignorant and followed bii -the 'old customs without in the least" realising what, the undivided responsibility meant to the mother, and. ,whwi,.the>'...ha.d- it pointed out, there iras.^no'- lack of response, as lias been t&Ta;:, .'Thef: siory is a very interesting.one, and is related by Lady Aberdeen aricT Teiiinir. ''; ' ■■' The quaintest- thiiigs possilileare-now tnd then suggested' seriously for the good of -the'ivorld'-aTiil of iMdividuiils, but a proposal which conn's from .SydUniversity would bo .hard to boat. Jin Australian paper nays: "It is proposed to secure the services of a capable and well-trained criminal for tho -JTniversity, the object, apparently, for the students to study his psychology." It is stated.that those who are responsible foi-the idea'have in niind a man *ho is described as a "fair average evildoer." This man is said to have had a wide and varied experience as a tobber, a house-break'or., and a "conBdeneo man.". On. many occasions hettas been in the hands of the police, and has had the exhilaration of escaping from custody. This person is to be invited to visit University Hall during lunch hour—provided he is free to;do, lip—and lecture to the students. A mov»pg picture dealing with crime will also Be shown, and tho "lecturer" will bo invited to speak about himself and his farcer, to explain whether ho regards idniself ns a sclf-hia,d(i nian, or a\vict.ini fjb adversity, heredity, environment,' ftruel inelastic laws, or the "slintrs and arrows of outrageous fortune.'I"'' This Slight indeed i;i.?J:e Iliu oid-f.-isliibiicil person sit up st/aight and cxcliiiu*,'•UVhat next?" or oven '"Dear" uic,"' for who knows whether such an associa;|on miglit not load to oxperimojiful yieas on tlic part of the young people,

and that some of them, in tho search for a new "thrill," might try an intricate burglary or "confidence track"? Anyway, the statement was seriously^' made in a most serious journal a few weeks ago, and at present there is no more to be said.- But tlic next part of the story should be very, interesting.