The Scheme of Things

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 137, 6 December 1930, Page 19

The Scheme of Things

By M.H.G.

A particularly interest .article is reprinted in the "Public Service JourHal" from the British "'State Journal/ the subject being "Public Seryice Women and Marriage." In view of the feeling disxilayed in. this country towards the .fow married women appointed to position in schools —country ones usually—a brief resume may be useful. It appears that an investigation has been made (r^Jiinly by inquiries addressed to associations) into the position'of women Civil servants in foreign countries and in the British Dominions. The questions asked included: "Wero pensionable women Civil servants obliged to resign on marriage? If so, were they compensated in any_ way? If they were not obliged to resign, were they entitled to a definite period of leave with pay before and after childbirth? In cases where retirement was not compulsory, what proportion of women retained their posts?" The information obtained was incomplete in some respects, "but an analysis of tho facts so far is more than sufficient to show that Great Britain occupies a position of isolation which is neither splendid nor honourable," states the plain-spoken report... "While objections may be taken here 'and there to minor points, tho mass of evidence is too solid to be shaken by any facile criticism, and the writer of the article remarks: "If any comfort is to be extracted from the position of things as they are, it will be found that all the Anglo-Saxon races appear to share in some degree the-shame which attaches to this country, in the matter, and from which the Latin races are so free." ■ In the five British Dominions ■which supplied information the State Education Services are the only ones in •which mamed women find employment to any substantial extent, and in some cases, even here, it has been shortage of teachers rather than the claims of "women that has caused a relaxation of the rule of exclusion. "In the remaining State services marriage is an effective bar to the employment of women, either by legal enactment or in practice." In the United States marriage is not'a bar to the employment of women, and special arrangements are made in the ease of the birth of children. The women are either given, leave of absence before and after confinement, or, in fewer cases, they are required to retire, but are eligible for re-instatement without examination or other ceremony when a vacancy occurs. In Germany all bars against women in Civil or other services have been removed, though, to meet special circumstances, a temporary enactment fronr 1923 to 1929 provided, that if on investigation it proved that the husbands were able to support them, the women would be required to resign, a

■ lump-' sum.! in-compensation.being pro- . vided. In. Austria practically all -women Civil • servants. may. retain their posts' after; marriage, and are granted a'pay-leave on the birth of a ■ child. r Generous arrangements are made in ' France, Belgium, ( Italy, Norway, and . Sweden for married- women in regard' to leave- and payment, while less good ■terms exist in Czechp-Slo- " vak'ia, Holland, and. Switzerland. - Sev--1 eral efforts on^the part of Swedish men . to; repeal their : Act and substitute . something less 'generous 'have been t made, and have been defeated signally by a larger majority each time. . In Great.Britain,,then,,marriage con- ; stitutes,l. either by. legal enactment .or '■ in fact,,an effective "bar to the.freedom i of womon to continue" in their chosen t profession. This fact has been the • subject of ; considerable, discussion, in I some of 'tha .leading papers in England - which are run in the interests, of woJ men. It is, felt that such a r provision not 1 only largely, controverts the '."liberty »of the subject,'' which, (supposedly) is • such; a Jeading/tenet'in. tl^ British eo.n- ---■ stitution, ,but ,it.probably leads to a • great?deal.that is undesirable. It.lias i been proved in some. eases-.tq. havoJled ! to ■ the concealment, of marriage—that : is the."woman, keeps'her maiden, name —• > quite a legal thing to do, as the change ■ ofr name.is:only- customary,not. obliga- ■ tory—-and goes'to. her ditties as usual 3 ■ her. husband doing, the same. Taking ' the view- that marriage is the private j ! business, of, the people, concerned there 1 is no objection to this, but some "authi orities " • have made it. their' business, t and things were ■ unpleasa.nt. accordingly. It appears to'those who think much of the issues involved- that;placing any obstacle to real wholesome-marriage of t educated1 and ( * brainy, people,'just for ■ the sakeof debarring women from hold--1 ing paid. positions when they marry, is • a most,mistaken thing,.utterly.against i real progress and the good' of ,the peo- > pla It is more thani possible'that in '. isolated, cases a ■ woman . may i hold ,a position when she, could afford ■ to; stay at home.and.live on her hus- j t band's earnings^ but ■ these exceptions • should ■ not. make a rule for thousands ' of other women who do not enter into i such cases-at ail. To1 be ) logical,neither ■ girls.,of means, nor,women, either mar- • riedor with private means, should :be i eligible for business, or' Civil; Service 1 posts^r-and in that case. why. not bar • out the men who also have more than ■ sufficient to live on, either inherited or i saved, or ■ from 'Government' superannu- • ation? ■ It ,is-an extraordinarily-illogi-cal .world when such things as' these are ; reasoned out. .The'deprivation of the i right to work, when and how they I please, from woinen'is one'of the cases i "When the, cruel- thumb of the. world '■ turns down," -and' these , women Xre • thus penalised if they dare' to let one > o£;;the!m'ost'beautiful of all sentiments i come into their, lives.. • : i ■ ■