MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1925, Page 8

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

NEWS AND NOUS.

Lady Rachel Byng, Lady Helen Forbes, Lady Victoria Percy, and Lady Barratt are among the titled women who are breeding rabbits pf various kinds for the fur trade in England. This is a hobby that pas a distinctly paying end. Rabbit’s fur is no longer despised. Both Princess Mary and the Dudhess of York wear coats of rabbit fur which were presented to them. Princess Mary has a chinchilla one worth 100 guineas. The Duchess of York has a blue beveren valued at £BO Or £9O.

Among t’he trades which are admitting women to then* practice in England is that of saddlery, which has no ban on sex rivalry. Since trunks and suitcases became part of the trade large numbers of girls have been employed in factories once sacred to the male. This departure has dealt hardly wit’h the men who pave had occasion to seek new situations, especially as their part’cular branch of the trade, harness-making, has almost disappeared, and in valise work, an old saddle specialist—once an artist in his way—is no match for a nimble girl.

That New Zealand has little to learn from America in the way of fashions, was t’he opinion of a New Zealander who has returned from. an extensive business tour in America. She said that the shops in America, while very much bigger than those 1 in New Zealand, did not offer any better facilities to shoppers than the shops in the big towns of New Zealand. As for the fas’hions, New Zealand was well abreast of the times, and while in America she had seen many models which were selling in New Zealand when she left.

Apparently Melba contemplates a retirement more complete than has been usual with prima donnas. Jenny Lind provides a famous case of retirement early, for she left the operatic stage at 29, though she continued to sing at 'concerts until about 1870. when she was 50. Patti’s series of farewell concerts in London began in 1895, when she was 52, and..continued for 13 years, until, indeed, some critics wondered whether she was wise to go on singing music like that of Juliette. Albani retired definitely a few years ago after a very long career. Grisi went on singing at concerts till her death at 58. Malibran died untimely.

She got her hair bobbed, and her husband was so incensed that he threatened to cut the rest °i it on. Not satisfied with this threat, he struck her. This was the story told by Annette Lawrence, who ; proceeded against her husband, W% H. Lawrence,/ at Parramatta Court, on a dhai’ge of violence, 1 says a Sydney ■ier. “Did you get your hair bobbed or shingled?” asked Mr Ferry S.M. “Oh, it was bobbed, Your Worship,” she replied. Witness added that since she had had her hair cut 'her husband refused to live peacefully with her. She said he was earning up to £2O a week, but she was only allowed a couple of pounds a week to keep, three children. Lawrence said he had not been fairly treated by his wife. He denied fihat the violence was the outcome of the haircut. The case was adjourned.

Women in Albania have equal rights with men, the Press reports. I'lio statement that during their minority they are under the control of their parents even implies that mothers and fathers have equal rights over their dhildren. This brings Albania to a level with England, which has lately passed its Equal Guardianship Bill to the tune of “Paterfamilias Dethroned,” “father and a new law,” from various oppositionists. Albania, however, iseems to be taking the matter of equality quite calmly. In Belgium, once conservative on these matters, we note that Madame De Brown de Tiege is doing well as the firsj woman burgomaster, her domain being Waillott, in the neighbourhood of D'nant. In India, the Bengal Legislative Council has passed a iesoCution conferring the franchise on women. This is the fifth British province to use its powers given under the Government of India Act to grant enfranchisement to women. Germany cannot now be called a backward country as far as women are concerned, but as formerly it held that position it is interesting to note that at the Berlin University this year the prizes were all won by women. Prussia, it seems, is a country where divorce is secret, the details being put in the “dossier” before the judge, and never being made public. Not only is divorce secret it is also rapid, a. marriage tie being often cut asunder within three weeks. If one party is contesting the point, however, there may be a week or two longer. In a single sitting a judge might go through quite forty cases, the number of such affairs having trebled snrne the war, being about five times t'hose of’ England and Wales. The cause is usually incompatibility, and war marriages are being dissolved m the greatest number. At first th* judges, trying to keep to the old standard of strict marriages, did their best to reconcile the parties, but now they, confine themselves to granting what is usually . the obvious wish of both of them. It is between the fifth and tenth year of the marriage that trouble usually comes. Psychologists must ponder over the curious fact that it is not the crowded cities that are responsible for this change of viewpoint and action in the Prussian character. The number of divorces in these big cities has remained at one figure during the past four years. It is’the smaller towns and country districts that are responsible for the great change. To show the lightness with which divorce is now treatea —a pretty actress comes before the judge asking to be freed from her husband, an author. “Oh,” says the judicial authority, “a marriage of artists! and as far as the Court is concerned the business is settled.