Few Women Celebrities At Melbourne Centenary

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 223, 24 September 1934, Page 2

Few Women Celebrities At Melbourne Centenary

Melbourne women are feeling rather more than merely disappointed at tho practically complete failure of any attempt to ensure tho'presence of distinguished ’ women from overseas as “celebrity” guests at the Centenary celebrations, says an Australian writer. They arc inclined to think that the whole affair has been badly managed, and arc perhaps not as sympathetic as they might be with the disappointments which have come tho way of the Centenary Council in this matter. The latest withdrawal is that of the Marehc.se Marconi, which, of course, will take away in the person of his wife, one of tho most beautiful women and interesting personalities who were expected to visit tho country. There will be, of course, Lady Baden-Powell, Lady Milne, and Mrs Masefield, all of whom will receive a warm welcome from tho women of the State, but tho list of individual women which was submitted by the Women’s Centenary Council has drawn no prizes at all. There is a suggestion now that an invitation be issued to Miss Megan Lloyd George as a celebrity in her own right, but Australians feel that it has got. down almost to “peddling” invitations, with rather humiliating results. The point that women emphasise is that .women like Margaret Bondfield, who was on tho first list, would have to consider very seriously an invitation that would take them from their jobs for at least six months, unless some very strong inducement was placed before them. It is quite likely that Miss Bonfield, for instance, was not given the slightest idea of the warmth of welcome sho would receive in every State of the Commonwealth, or of the fact that hospitality would also be assured' her everywhere. She has often expressed a desire to visit Australia if it were possible, and Melbourne women foci convinced that the nature of the invitation she received on this occasion did not help to make it possible. There is quite definitely a feeling that the women, have not been, given the consideration they regard as their due in this matter of Centenary celebration.