THE MODERN GIRL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15055, 26 July 1912, Page 4

THE MODERN GIRL.

HER DOMESTIC TRAINING. PREFERENCE FOR SHOP OR OFFICEIs the training of the modem girl such as to qualify her for the duties'of wifehood, motherhood, and mistress of the house? In order to ascertain what is being dono to equip the Auckland girl with the qualifications essential in tho good housewife, a Heiiai.d representative instituted some inquiries yesterday. The information he gleaned shows tho startling fact that more than twice as many girls are taking up commercial work as are interesting themselves in domestic training. That this is actually so is shown by tho present registers at the Technical Day College. Miss Renwick, who is in charge of tho domestic instruction classes, gave the reporter the following figures:—The number of first-year girl students at the college taking the commercial course, which includes shorthand,- office routine, typewriting, and elementary book-keeping, is 67. The first-year girls taking the purely domestic course, which includes cookery, housewifery, laundry work, needlework, dressmaking, and millinery, total 26. ■

In the list of second-year students 26 are taking commercial work, and 12 domestic training. Nine third-year girls are taking commercial work, and only one domestic training, while five fourth-year students are labouring with office work, but there are no girls, undergoing domestic instruction , The Modern Girl's Capabilities. Several managers of commercial firms were then interviewed to see if tho commercial training the Auckland girls were receiving was fitting them for 'office-work. "Why do I employ girls in preference to boys for the easier side of office work?" said one, in answer to a question. " First of all, girls are more reliable than boys, and are often intellectually quicker. They are more tidy and careful in their habits, and besides all these qualifications, they do not cost so much. I might, as well be frank with ! you." he added. "A very proficient girl can be employed for £1 a week, but if a youth were asked to do the same work he would want at k-:i.-;t £2." A Girl's Opportunities. Miss Renwick believes that as far as Auckland is concerned, at any rate, better times are coming, and girl's will have more opportunity of learning how to keep up a home satisfactorily. "The girls at the college who take the commercial course," she said, " are notallowed to wholly neglect domestic training. Besides their commercial subjects, they are taught, cookery, dressmaking, and laundry work, and if they make tho best of their opportunities they will not go into offices or shops without a fair knowledge of these."

A Suggested Remedy. Miss Berwick does not consider that the training the girls receive, even when taking the whole domestic course, is quite sufficient. " I would like to see these girls actually live in a house and see what housekeeping really means, and we hope to bo able to establish such a hostel in connection with the new technical schoolThere are many things which a girl can- ' not possibly learn at ordinary classes. For instance, many girls are wholly ignorant of how to go about shopping for tho house, and if a hostel were established the girls could do everything—shop, cook, and prepare the meal ready for tho table, clear away afterwards, and learn how the actual operations should be conducted in a home. Continuation Glasses. " Continuation classes," Miss Berwick went on to say, "should be made compulsory. The girls in offices would have the opportunity then of learning domestic science in the evenings, and they could earn their livings in the daytime without interference. There are some girls, of course, who remain at home after leaving the college, and I think that afternoon continuation classes, such as have been successful at Home, could be established here. These classes would save, many girls from being out at night, rind in the new building I think it might be possible to arrange for them to be held." " A Foolish Notion." Many girls, Miss Remvick went on to say, still held the old-fashioned idea that domestic training of any sort was degrading, and affected their social positionThis notion was, of course, a very foolish one, and everything possible should be done to prevent tho modern girl from getting this idea into her head. The training at the college was excellent for the girls, and although tho system was, perhaps, not quite perfect, if it were better known, she was sure that it would become very popular indeed.