WOMEN IN 1931

Evening Star, Issue 20989, 31 December 1931, Page 2

WOMEN IN 1931

[By Jessie Mackat.] As our wont is let us first regard the harvest of the Great Reaper. The world of art is poorer for loss of Anna Pavlova, queen of dancers in her own northern land of dancing Boreal lights. At the same time in the contrasted brilliance of the Australian summer Nellie Melba, Dame of the British Empire, returned now to the land of her birth, laid down her triumphs as a world queen of song. Patriotism made her a commanding figure in war time. Kindness of heart made her a fairy godmother to many an aspiring young Cinderella. A strenuous worker for suffrage and women’s welfare passed in Britain when Dr Ethel Bentham, M.P., was suddenly called away at seventy—another example of the noble Quaker militancy against wrong. About the same time went Lady Frances Balfour, sister-in-law of Earl Balfour and biographer of Dr Elsie Inglis, a distinguished fighter for the vote and general welfare of, her sex.

In the same month a devoted pioneer, both in literature and in the academic emancipation of New Zealand women, found rest in the person of Edith Searle Grossman, M.A. Australian born, her early collegiate triumphs were won in Christchurch. Subsequent years of travel and residence in Europe put her in touch with tho English suffrage movement at a vital stage in its course. In Auckland she devoted herself to quiet but earnest work as touching the enlargement of woman’s sphere, and there, after years of ill-health, she passed away; aged sixty-seven. Hypersensitiveness regarding the tragedies of life invested her novels with a sombre tone, brightened, however, by vivid passages of Nature description bespeaking a lover of the open. Again, in May an older worker for women’s right and welfare passed in the person of Anna, Lady Stout. Born and reared in Dunedin, she found her long life work as home-maker, social leader, and battling feminist in Wellington, with also some years in London, where she became a figure in the dramatic closing years of the suffrage struggle. Her work for Prohibition, for civic uplift, and for woman’s cause will not soon be forgotten. A peculiar link with tho far-off years of woman’s storming tho medical college was broken when Dr Harriet Clisby died at Geneva, at the great age of one hundred. Both Australia and America profited by her struggle for a medical career. In Geneva, where the latter part of Dr Clisby’s life was spent, she took a distinct part in the foundation of woman suffrage societies, and left an honoured name behind her —the oldest woman doctor in tho world. In April died the bright, and versatile singer and story-teller, Katherine Tynan Hinkson. Intensely Irish by birth and environment in the old Land League days, a true daughter of Ireland at all times, her popular literary and social gifts made her a citizen of the nearer European world in later J The Empire is poorer for the loss of Lady Tata, a distinguished Parsee woman, whoso personality charmed the groat conferences of world women in which she took part as an Indian delegate. As a leader of the National Council, she well upheld the country, or rather sub-continent, the women of which constitute so much of the Indian problem. Intensely patriotic, but a counsellor of peace, this enlightened Indian lady is ill missed in such a year. Aura Adams Gordon,, world president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and colleague of Frances Willard, is gone to her nobly-earned rest, after long triumphant years of work for America and humanity.

Last comes Lucas Malet. the novelist, otherwise Mrs Mary Harrison, Charles Kingsley’s youngest daughter. All the robust literary power of her great family pulses through her novels, vivid, tragic, and strangely tender, even in their realism. As I have said, the year, though overcast, has not been unfruitful. The “ monstrous regiment ” of women preachers is breaking down the very walls of Knox’s citadel. A Congregational pulpit in Glasgow was already filled by a woman, the Rev. Vera Findlay. Now the progressive Presbyterians have ordained a woman minister, tho Rev. Edith Martin, to take up work at Aberdeen. At least one woman pro-

batiouer is following on. Maude Hoyden has been made r doctor of divinity by Glasgow University. After this, it is bathos to remark on Scotland’s round dozen of women station masters.

Abroad, conservative Holland has passed a Bill entitling wives to a proportion of their husbands’ income for housekeeping, while m Turkey Madame Server Ali Hanom has been appointed Director of Post Offices in Stamboul, which has already seen a woman Minister of Education. New Zealand was once wont to appraise herself higher than “ lesser breeds,” Moslem or other; now, after slamming the door on woulcl-De -women M.P.s for a dozen years, she must take her place among tho troglodytes Of ‘ A Lady with a Duster,” in Wellington, she has just reaffirmed her bucolic terror in the recent election Japan is coquetting with a Bill to enfranchise women for city, town, and village assemblies. Representatives from Guatemala, Peru, and Venezuela upheld the Latin tradition by demanding that the League of Nations should submit a report on the nationality of married women to the Assembly after consultation with tho great world organisations of ivomcn. New Zealand, which has not any women police, should note that Los Angeles has appointed its first woman Police Commissioner to deal with its posse of female guardians of the peace. Returning to the nationality of Married Women, full national rights have been granted in America. Fourteen nations, none, alas! British, now accoi'd equality. American women this as tho most important victory since State-wide suffrage. In England the Methodist Church has affirmed the eligibility of women for the ministry. Miss Eleanor Rathbone, M.P., has arraigned the British attitude of indifference, timidity, and even hostility to social reforms touching the life of Indian women under the proposed new constitution. A disconcerting side-light, this, on the reign of terrorism in certain Indian districts at the moment. These women’s sons seem disturbed about ■something, probably not about their mother’s grievances, but yet there is here no factor of reconcilement. And Sir John Simon put us all right in Itis monumental report, touching the key factor of the Indian situation—women’s status. Sir John Simon also, bearing on his wife’s epochal book, ‘ Slavery,’ led the yearly debate at Westminster on the Mui Tsai question in Hongkong, where we continue to rest on platitudes and pious hopes. Eleanor Rathbone, M.P., had better luck with her Family Maintenance Bill, seemingly on the lines of Scottish law regarding the rights of women _ and children in the matter of obtaining right from the moneyed testator, and adjudged better than. our own commendable, but indefinite, law on the subject. Miss Susan Lawrence has been the first fully appointed English delegate to the League of Nations. Previously she, .with Mrs Mary Hamilton, also then an M.P., had been a substitute delegate, Tho curious situation is Spain’s last days of monarchy, when suffrage was still refused, but two women were appointed to what would amount to Cabinet rank, is now ended by the Cortes granting the vote to women over twenty-three. The Bill is counted safe though not finally ratified by last accounts. The Latins are waking up. Portugal has also passed a measure much more restricted, however, granting suffrage to certain classes of women. Brazil is also drafting a limited franchise Act.

A most, hopeful sign about Chinese progress is the request of the Government for European aid to organise factory inspection. The International Labour Office, Geneva, has accordingly sent Dame Adelaide already well and favourably known in China concerning factory regulation. Jane Addams, together with a distinguished American man, has just been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Unfortunately, she is seriously ill in hospital. In the recent election in Britain every Labour woman has been thrown out, even tho Right Hon. Margaret Bondfield. There were fifteen * women in the last House and fifteen are in the present House —thirteen Conservatives, one Liberal (Megan Lloyd George), and one Independent (Eleanor Rathbone).. Tho story of New Zealand for the year is short and sad. Last year the Unemployment Relief Bill left women out of the scheme. By February of this year it was seen that, for tho first time" in New Zealand history, women to the number of thousands were workless and many homeless. The Labour Party, which had protested against the first exclusion, protested again against shutting women out of benefit. The upshot was not inclusion in benefit but the imposition of a wage tax on women earning salaries, to be employed for the benefit of unemployed menl Deductions have been made from even the lowest public salaries, those of the charwoman, to wit. The vexed question of married women teachers whose husbands are employed has been settled not by law hut regulation; they are to make a full statement to the department of their domestic circumstances or accept dismissal. In certain cases women have been dismissed to make room for men. There is much perturbation about the closing down on probationer appointments this year—a measure affecting the career of many young people. Tho only woman inspector of purely girls’ schools —home science—was dismissed. Just at the close of session the sum of £1,500 was allocated for relief of workless women. How it is to he applied is not yet settled. _ The alleviation of the whole situation has been tho splendid organisation in different centres for workless women, financed by churches, women’s societies, and organisations of betterment. Women have risen to tho need for equitable sacrifice everywhere.