DOMESTIC WORK IS HONOURABLE DUTY

Northern Advocate, 30 March 1938, Page 3

DOMESTIC WORK IS HONOURABLE DUTY

[Special To “Northern Advocate.”] ASHBURTON. This Day. A sweeping statement on the helplessness of the modern young woman in regard to her domesticability, a plea for women police, condemnation of the Japanese forces in their “ruthless warfare” in China, and advocacy of a boycott on Japanese goods, was made yesterday morning by the Dominion president of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union, Mrs J. Drake, at the inter-provincial conference. Mrs Drake stated that it should be compulsory for all girls to receive some training in domestic work before they leave school. Until domestic work was looked up to as an honourable duty, and not looked down on as at present, a dangerous position would be made worse.

The hospitals were full of people who should never have been sent there. TJhey were ill because they had not been able to eat food properly cooked. Girls were getting married Today and they knew nothing, about how to keep house, much less did they know anything about bringing up a family, continued Mrs Drake. A young man became engaged and set about offering to his bride a nice home, but, on the other hand, what had a girl to offer toward the bai’gain? Very often, she was an indifferent cook; could not look after her home, and did not know the first thing about bringing up a family.