WOMEN IN FINANCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 April 1923, Page 1

WOMEN IN FINANCE.

Lady Rhondda is undoubtedly the woman whose name most readily springs to our minds in connection with financial undertaking, and although rn this respect she undoubtedly made a wise selection in the choice of her lather-—as Sir .James Barrio would have it—she lias applied this wisdom and intuition to a great number of equally important business transne tiuns (says a London paper). Finance is. however, a profession in "hicli a small number of women, even without such initial advantages, are steadily making a career for themselves. To the majority of us it comes as quite n surprise to learn that a woman .stockbroker existed even before tile war.

It should be -aid at once that women, both here and in New York, arc not allowed to deal on the F.xcbange, hut Miss Bell was nevertheless a registered stockhi iker until a tew yearago—"hen she died. That another woman has succeeded her, and is still busy in the shadow of the Exchange, merely shows that this is not a chance profession for women, hut one that will undoubtedly attract more as time goes on. The stringent regulations of the ■Stock Exchange preclude any advertisement, and therefore any names being mentioned on the present occasion. It is not, however, indiscreet to state that the. existing woman stockbroker has no illusions, oilers no rosy

"express road” to fortune in her profession hut a life of hard work and business anxiety. She does not oven suggest that there is likely to he room for many women .stockbrokers for a considerable number of years, hut she does hold out hope that in the provinces, in a district where slie Is known, a. career might well develop for the enterprising and courageous woman with a real flair for finance, plus hard work I There is, however, another side of the picture. Until the modern and fair-minded men of to-day can open the doors for women to deal on the Fxcliange, the profession ol outside broker, is one which affords them the greatest opportunity. Here again a few women are hard at work. Some, ulus! have “fallen by tile wayside,” but tin l wise will only regard such lailures as the signposts to .success. Not far from Throgmorton si root Is a cheerful, capable woman, carrying out the work of co-directorship in such an outside broker’s. Here, again, however, the difficulty oi "names arises. The position is subtle. A famous company, such, for example, as that with which Lady Rhondda's own family was so long associated, is a "big financial institution" in the eye- of the City, hut a small or voting company is apt to he dismissed in the vernacular of a "bucket-shop." Nevertheless, it is more and more to

the credit of tlie.-e women pioneers that they have the grit to wait, to refuse the cheap laurels that may he offered to them as the “first” woman stockbroker, or publisher, or marine engineer, and wait till they are firmly established and have "made good" regardless of sex. The outside broker ot course does business via advertisement, and the registered stockbroker through introduction and personal acquaintance only. The outside broker does not deal on the Km linage, hut through registered stockbroker. A woman stockbroker, however, is ai the present time similarly placed.