MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 May 1930, Page 7

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

ITEMS OF INTEREST

(Notes by

Marjorie)

WOMEN ARCHITECTS.

WHERE THEY LACK.

Miss Kathleen. Veitch, who has won the Owen Jones travelling studentship, offered by the Royal Institute of British Architects for open competition to architects of both sexes, does not think that women will be as successful in architecture as men. “Women, of course, may possess the gift of designing and in that respect be the equal of men architects,” said Miss Veitch to a London newspaper representative, “but I think that men are more fitted for management and the business side of architecture, and for that reason ibey will always

be predominant. “I feel hardly qualified to speak on architecture yet. I am chiefly interested in the theory of colour. Colour is too often studied merely as an essential adjunct of decoration. “I think that a theory of colour should be evolved in the abstract and then the resulting conclusions could be practically applied in architectural execution.” Colour drawings formed a large part of the preliminary competition

for the Owen Jones studentship and .in the final examination it was Miss Veitch’s design for the interior of a ■civic hall which earned her success. Miss Veitch, who is at present with a West End firm of architects, has not yet made plans for the use of her travelling studentship.

A GREATER BRITAIN.

NEW RACE OF GIRLS.

How is the rising generation of girls going to affect this race? If their rich promise is developed in the best way they may be the beginning of a new and greater England, states a London writer. Great Britain arose from the vision of one woman who inspired a few men to found an Empire. There are thousands of potential Elizabeths equipped to inspire a nation of men. They have courage, ideals, and initiative, mental and bodily strength and the power of endurance —the essentials of a fine race and of Empire builders. They will marry and have sons. It is their husbands and sons who will take over the management of the British Empire from old men who mean well but are floundering in a morass of past mistakes and present compromises.

The old spirit of adventure is still there, but the precariousness of living in the peace and the general tiredness of the nation are soothing it away. It needs impetus.. The modern young girl is going to give that impetus. She scorns everything that is second-rate or that betrays weakness, and a half-and-half spirit. She is as keen as a razor. And her menfolk will have to live up to her. She will stand no “putting up with” things for the want of energy to overcome them, no slacking. From her key position in the home a woman has endless power. The modern girl has the will to use that power and the brains to uso it well. She can put an end to lounging because she does not have to stop at the rather futile, “Do something.” She can say, “Do this particular thing,” and show them how to do it. If that were not enough she could shame them into activity by doing it herself. She is going to be a “terror” to the half-hearted —for she is a born fighter. There is no easy going amiability about her. If there were she would bo more charming as a woman, but she would not be ideal for the ago she has been born into.

It is her job to infuse vigour into the race, to send strong, healthy, intelligent sons and daughters to the ends of the earth, fired with the will to win; to keep the men in authority at home alive and alert, to make the young men eager, disciplined, and enterprising. We are fortunate people if only we knew it. We are’ going to see the Second Renaissance, the start of the Second Period of the British Empire, and wo are living in daily contact with beauty that will live for ever.

I THE PRACTICAL SEX. ; IS .IT WOMAN? It has often been said that woman is the practical sex. It is usually said by men and it seems, on examination, to be about as well founded as most of the generalities about woman which are pronounced by men, states a Loudon -writer. To a man, half a loaf is invariably better than no bread; a woman is regrettably apt to turn her back on the proffered portion because she cannot have the whole. She is, as the song says, “funny that way”; while a man follows an unconscious kind of philosophy—an instinct to make the best of actualities instead of dreaming about, possibilities. In domestic matters woman is practical enough; but then, domestic matters are her 1 province, and her practicalness is probably more a matter of habit than of instinct. In primitive days it was woman’s sole job to attend

to man’s material needs while man sat outside the cave and directed the affairs of the universe—or as much of the universe as came within range of his club and vision, and the tradition —slightly modified has persisted. It is perfectly natural that woman should be more practical in the matter of running a household or sewing on a button so that it stays put; but it is equally natural that 1 , when it comes 'to buying oil shares or psycho-analys-ing the car, masculine prowess should shine.

It proves nothing that a man or a woman is practical in his or her particular sphere; it is only when they meet on common ground that judgment is possible. And when they meet on common ground it is usually the man who takes the uncompromisingly sensible view, while the woman is apt to let various little quirks of sentiment and prejudice distract her vision.

I have heard it said that woman cut her hair for practical reasons. She did nothing of the kind; short hair —unless it is of the naturally curly variety—is more expensive than long hair, and more trouble. She cut it because she thought it would look nicer—and because she wanted a change. The extraordinary thing is that the average man, in spite of his superior attitude toward, woman’s erratic mind., really doesn’t want her to be practical; he is frankly pained, for instance, if she wears “sensible” shoes when she goes walking with him or if she buys garments which will really keep her warm in January—while ,if she happens to cast a salutary dose of cold water on his scheme to build a nine-valve set which will get Singapore he rails at her for being un-. sympathetic! Perhaps the real truth is that there is no completely practical sex!

The only woman sanitary inspector in Sydney, Miss Isla Blomfield, has resigned after 20 years’ service, during which she has been guide, philosopher and friend to countless women. During the past twenty years Miss Blomfield has. seen sunless, dirty slum streets replaced by wide, open thoroughfares, and decrepit old buildings replaced by up-to-date offices and Residential dwellings. To her, also, is given the credit for the phenomenal reduction in the city’s infant mortality.

A task of some magnitude has been undertaken by the Rev. P. T. Norris, rector of a church in Southend, England, who has offered to look after the young children of his congregation so that their mothers can attend church. When his curate is taking the service, Mr Norris collects the children and takes them to the vestry. Success attends his efforts to keep the children quiet, for he recently appeared in the pulpit at a children’s service with a dog, a cat, a rabbit, a goldfish, and a canary.

Miss Margaret Kirkhope, a member of the teaching staff of the Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy in Melbourne, who has been abroad for the past 1G months, working as an exchange teacher at the Glasgow and West of .Scotland School of Domestic Science, returned to Australia recently. The course of training in domestic science in Glasgow, and generally at the domestic science colleges in England, Miss Kirkhope considered, was narrower in scope than the training given in Melbourne, but it was more specialised. .

Several shops in the West End of London, after years of rigorous adherence to the rule, “Male windowdressers only,” are giving a chance to the woman window artist. ‘One young woman, who does this work, declared, that she believed window-dressing was a. natural function for women. Women were accustomed to blending colours and arranging household details artistically, and they knew much more about materials than the average man. One London woman, who is clevei* at creating modern window backgrounds, is earning £lOOO a year.