A "WOMAN'S WOMAN"

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 151, 29 June 1931, Page 11

A "WOMAN'S WOMAN"

AMERICAN VISITOR

There is au indefinable quality called "charm." which cannot be measured or limited, and Mrs. Elizabeth Mereweather Gilmer ("Dorothy Dix"), who arrived in Wellington this morning by the Mauuganui, lias that beautiful quality in a generous degree. That and her fine worldly wisdom account for the immense popularity of her writings, which go literally all over the world, with the result that she receivos every day from 200 to 1000 letters, all of which aye sorted by one secretary, and are replied to by "Dorothy Dix" herself. She deals with questions of all kinds, and men and women, boys and girls, are her correspondents, neverceasing, and ever-increasing. Asked why she came to New Zealand in the dead of winter, Mrs. Gilmor smiled, and said that she had come away from the hot Now Orleans summer. They had lovely winters, but many were glad to travel in the summer, and that accounted for their visiting other countries in the winter, but she did not consider that the weather in Wellington at the moment was anything remarkably. bad. Last year she went to Persia to avoid the summer, and found that she had arrived in time for the worst sand-storms. Sho intends to leave for Chateau Tongariro to-morrow, and then go to the Hot Lakes for some days, so to Auckland, and then to Sydney. After a visit to Melbourne Mrs. Gilmer is going on to Manila, and from there to Japan before returning home. Although she has seen most parts of the world before, this is her first visit to New Zealand, and she hopes to come again some day and see something of the South Island. "EXPERIMENTS" AND POLITICS. ■Mrs. Gilmer has some kind thing 3to say about the New Zealanders she has already met and travelled with. She finds that they, do "big thinking" on something the same lines as the Americans, and are big in -stature as well. The same "experiments" have been tried by Governments in Australia and New Zealand, and she has every respect for the courage and modern thought which.make these experiments possible.

. It is early days to talk about the effect of women in Senate or Parliament, thinks Mrs. Gilmer. Women are doing something in bringing before men the fact that women's and men's interests are identical, and if a law or provision reacts unfavourably on one sex, then it does on the other; Their efforts' in Senate so far are negligible, but it all takes time,- and they cannot expect to find themselves in exactly the same position of usefulness in the Senate as men who have been trained for centuries; in ancestry.. However, the women in America are very loyal to their sex, are the leading workers in social services of all kinds, and: are always to tho fore in practical kindness on cither a large or a small scale. WOMEN IN BUSINESS. There is a great movement in America towards the entry of "society" girls into business—that is the daughters of wealthy people. Nowadays they soon tire of the social round, and begin to look to business careers for interest in life. It is sometimes a case of "biological succession,'.' and the business acumen of a man is transmitted to his daughter, and this leads them to "real estate work, banking," and other former manly-exclusive occupations. Thero is no differentiation in payment in America. Brains and capability are paid for on merit, arid not on sex, and women receive full justice in this direction. As a matter.of fact many of,the wealthiest men have women secretaries, as they find them capable, painstaking, and trustworthy, keying confidences in an admirable manner. "They bring housewifely qualities to bear," said Mrs. Gilmer with a smile, "and always know where to find things, an added virtue that is always appreciated." Women buyers are highly paid, and disburse great s.ums of money for their employers, and it may- be said that the opportunities for ' women have never been'Bo-1 "great before.' , Mrs. Gilmer thinks that is. all for good, and. wishes her own sex the very best in New Zealand in the. f uturfe.. . . ,'■ •. . ;'