WOMAN CARRIES ON

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 96, 27 April 1929, Page 15

WOMAN CARRIES ON

POST AS AGENT-GENERAL

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, 1-ifcb March,

The first ivoman to hold the appointment of Agent-General for a Dominion is Miss Iris Howard, who until a permanent appointment is mado will act in her late father's place as Agent-Gen-eral for Nova Scotia.

She was educated at University College, London, at Montpelier, and in Germany. In 1915, having passed the Civil Service examination, she was admitted among .the first/four in the Pensions Department, then in St. James's Park, where she took over the correspondence for the men.

"I was trained by my father," she said, "and worked for five years under him. 1 know his ideas, and I think that is why they have asked me to carry on. -.1 feel it is an immense compliment to my father. He and'l..loved the province, and we would do anything to further its importance in the Empire. " Miss .Howard is doubtful if it would be quite fair to the Dominion to .appoint a woman to the position". "I have experienced the disadvantages of being a woman in this position," she stated. "I have found Government Departments most sympathetic aud ready to discuss matters with me, but trade delegations have been rather different. And at public banquets it is expected that the Dominion should be represented by a "man. Trade, emigration, financial matters, confidential inquiries, passports, and lo'okiug after visitors who .come here from the Dominion have been part of. my work."

Speaking of the place of the woman in business to : day, Miss Howard suid: "I think that as long as she doesn't forget she is a woman, and doesn't try to compete too much with men, she can wake a success. She must not 'try to become masculine. So long ns women are excluded from the conferences of trade corporations and chambers of commerce they have not a fair chance of competing on equal terms with men. I have had experience .erf that."