WOMEN AND THE HOME

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10000, 18 June 1918, Page 9

WOMEN AND THE HOME

DISCUSSION AT NATIONAL COUNCIL.

There wae a good attendance at the meeting of tho National Council of Women (Wellington branch), which was hold in the Y.W.C.A. Rooms last night. Miss England presided, and Mrj Harvorson gave an address on "Tho Reconstruction of tho Home," which led to an interesting and animated discussion: —Keconstruetion, tho speaker said, is in the air, and everywhere people are formulating plans to better tho conditions of tho working man after the war. Theso also affect women and ohildren, but there is no direct scheme for bettering tho conditions of women themselves, and there is no groator need than this bettering of conditions of the home-keeping mothei. The round of domestic duties necessary to the keeping of a home constitute a groat burden. We are told the influence of tho home is waning. If this were true, all the drudgery. which at E resent makes up the work of the ome would bo in vain. Women havo to face the problem of how to avert this.. If the home has ceased to do what is required of it, we must reconstruct it in such a- manner that its influence will be restored. We must bring it into line with the changing conditions of life. It will not be an easy task, because always there are people who oppose any suggestion to •interfere with the established state of things. This, however, is more than a question of over-worked mothers; the very existence of the home is threatened, and with the destruction of the home would go the foundation of our social life. However, woman will never allow tho home to decay. It is hef masterpiece. People seem to forget that it was woman who made the home. Tho speaker .then told of the work women had done throughout the ages. When man was the hunter, it was woman who inculcated in him a regard for his offspring, for whom he had even little, responsibility. To hold him to them and to-her children was a stupendous task for the woman, who also had to provide for her children's hunger. It was she who discovered that roots and plants could be used as food, and when those at hand were usod up she went further afield. Thus she was tho first agriculturist. When man found that these plants could be made to sustain life, he turned agriculturist himself. This was a big step forward in the founding of the home, for '. woman found fresh fields of labour, and became, tho first manufacturer. Women were the first tanners and weavers, spinners and dyers, tho first millers and potters. They were the first artists and architects, the first physicians, and the first priests and prophets. As civilisation advanced better means of working were devised, but every member of a family had to work, and work long hours. With the better-educated and rioher people women worked at-all constructive work as well as baking and browing. It did not matter how many there were in the family, the greater tho output, the greater the wealth of that family. Up to 100 years ago each house was a factory turning out everything necessarry to sustain fife. Then came the advent of machinery and the upheaval in domestio lifo it brought in its train. The factory replaced the home; the poorer I woman followed her work into the factory; but this was considered "infra dig'* for the wealthier' classes, and women of these classes became idle, living on the earnings of the manj husband or father. As each home ceased to be a complete economic unit in itself the woman was no longer self-support-ing.' Woman has fulfilled her mission. She has oreated the home and has developed in man a love of home and family. She has toiled for this through ±he centuries and now she finds herself in danger of being dispossessed. "Women havo made a mistake in not adapting themselves to the new conditions in the home, dinging to the four walls of the home and forcing on the fathor the duty of supporting amy! number of grown-up daughters. This is demoralising to the daughter and an injustice to the man. Thus a new type of woman grew up, a woman whoso livelihood depended upon her ability to secure a husband. Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte realised the humiliating position women were thus forcod to occupy. Wo have got away from that humiliating period and girls are allowed to support' themselves, to enter professions; but there is still a. great deal to bo desired because, when a girl marries she drops her own work, and takes up work which, perhaps, she has no bent for and which brings no money, whilo her husband has to entirely support hor, and yet she is working longer hours and at more laborious work probably than she did .before; but it is not "gainful" employment and does not count as of any economio value. Then when tho children como we have only to look round to roalise the price thot mothers pay. How is this to bo altered!' It is cheaper to do things on a largo scale as in a factory. For the sake of tho tired mothers all homos need to be reconstructed. The ideal home of tho future must bo based upon ideals and( common interests rtfthcr than} upon material toil, a homo where the mother croates an atmosphere of love, and where the whole family group will bo bound together by kindred tastes, by mutual understanding, and sympathy. Tho future homo lies in tho hands of tho. children. At present wo can only attempt to lighten tho bur- I den of the mothers of to-day. In tho lien- homo women will havo to share with men tho work which counts most in tho country's life. Wo must tench giris that tho happiness of tho world, and tho progress of civilisation rests with hor, teach her that ms tho mother of tho raco Nature has ondowed her with very special gifts; that it is an honour and a privilege to bo a woman, because she has not only montnl ability equal to that of man, but that over and nbovo alio has tho groat cerativo power which makes hor woman; and then give hor tho opportunitv to develop hor ovory facility. Girls should have a broad education. Early specialisation is bad. To fit a girl for tho now homo lifo sho must tako up a trndo or profession, with tho idea that sho hnp got to rroke a success of jity; that sho has got to bo as successful a bread-winner as is hor father or brother, or future husband. Whether girls like tho idea or not of taking up a career as a lifo work they will have to face it as a matter of duty. When such a m'rl marries <oio would continue her work and the dual incomes of tho husband and wifo would enable them

to pay domestic helpers a wage which would ensure their getting trained home science women to do the household work. The conoi-oions. of apnies : tic work would have to be'different. It would depend on tho mother's profession whetiber she would have to' give it up entirely for a, while when her children were babies, but in any case she should take it up again later. This is what the daughters must he trained for, but for the mothers at present the simplest solution would be a scheme of co-operation. Women must help each other. The speaker suggested that mothers'.clubs be formed in different districts. Each club should have a orecho, a laundry; a large kitchen, and a sewing room, as well as a meeting room. The mothers have no money to spend on anything beyond the family needs of, food and clothing. Supposing there ar« one hundred homes in the neighbourhood of o, clud, tho club laundry is provided with a washing-machine and every up-to-date convenience to avoid lifting or straining. Suppose a hundred working mothers send their washing to the club laundry. Out ot the hundred there would be several who likod' washing when machinery made it all so easy, but who disliked sewing or cooking. Their children could bo brought to the club creche and taken oaro of by women who loved the babies, but who, perhaps, were not able to wash. The work-room would be devoted to sewing and mending, which would be done for tho women who wore better "hie to cook or wash. The time given would, of course, be in proportion! to the work that they required done for them, and so, in addition to getting their washing done in the quickest way, the children would bo cared for. This would help tho working woman who has no money, and also the woman who is able to pay for help, but yet cannot got it In this co>-operative way it would cost less to have all tho cooking dono in one large kitchen. The mother who could l afford to pay without co-oporating, could buy what she required also, and it would cost very little more than if she bought the materials and spent hours in hor own kitchen in tho cooking. That was where there was so much waste of time and' food and fuel, said the speaker. For each household to continuo to work as though it were still a complete unit is proposterous, and for on© woman to attempt to keep in the home all tho odds and ends of industries which havo been removed from tho homo to tho factory i s slavery, iand is fulfilling no good purpose. A most animated discussion) followed Mrs Harvorson's address, and many questions wore asked. Some speaker s pointed out that communal kitchens were already well established in England, and tho laundries of Glasgow were spoken of. Miss' England told of kitchens in Brussels where women living alone could get meals ready cooked, and other speakers pointed out that 'tho fact that the single and wage-earning woman needed a homo was always overlooked. Tho following resolution! was put to the meeting by Mrs Harvorson, who was thanked for her interesting address : —- "That this mooting of tho National Council of Women (Wollinctnn branch), realising that tho home under present conditions is not fulfilling the requirements of modorni days, is in favour of the formation of co-operative clubs, with n view to lightening tho labours of tho mothers and of restoring to the home the influence of which modern conditions of lifo hove bereft it."

RED CROSS SHOP COMMITTEE. The monthly meeting of the Rod Cross Shop Committee was held yesterday afternoon in the Mayoress's room, Town Hall. Mrs W. Nathan presided, in the absence of-Mrs J. P. Ltoike. A resolution of sympathy with tho - Mayoress in -her illness was passed, and hopes for hor speedy recovery wore expressed. Various matter»-in connection with tho shop were discussed. It was reported that the balance was--good? «md--tnat days -at. .the shop had been arranged for some time .Ahead. --The.-shop has been very ■successful since, its removal to file present quarters. A request , was received from the Countess of Liverpool Fund asking if the fund could use the shop on the days'wheh it was' riot used by the Eod Cross workers, the takings going- to the Liverpool Fund. After some discussion it was decided to reply that the committee regretted being unable to comply ,irith this request, as it was feJt the shop had been engaged ..for,,, the, .Red Cross work, and the conflicting interest would load to considerable confusion and awkwardness. WORKING FOR THE WAR. . A New Zealander in London in an T letter >,to.'his mother in the. Dominion, writes: "England is an awful place just now —wounded and maimed, food rations, travelling restrictions after the 15th; you have to get a permit to -take evon a short journey. Trains and tubes and 'busses are ..being curtailed. They want every available man and woman- for work in tho munition factories or hospitals or on the land. If wo are to win this war there must be stem work for everyone. We are down to bedrock, "rationed on everything to tho extreme limit. Theatres are closed at 9.30. All lights are out at the same hour. At last the Government, and nation know what is .required of them. . We are awake at last.. No one grumbles. Wo' may be easygoing and slow to see danger, but when we know we act. Every girl dn uniform —land workers in tunics and leggings; tram conductors, blue tunics and loggings; cleaners, yellow overalls and trousers; munition workers, Red Cross drivers, Auxiliary A.S.C., all in tunics and loggings. Every girl and woman working. Not a thing wasted—old papers, envelopes, letters, all turned into cartridges, etc. ..The whole place is like a hive.,., l .No,J>3,trolr-oi: very little. So all tho'taxis and cars have huge balloons filled with gas on the top of them, nil newly fitted up and very ugly, but necessary. The streets are full of ammunition waggons, ambulanco cars and soldiers ..marching- No carriages, no private given to tho service of the State. Tho Tving is the only one who has horses, and theso are used in the Royal- brakes to tako the wounded soldiers out. Tho King and Queen and all the Royal Family are working harder than anyone else."

Tho marriage took place on "March 28fch, at St. Stephen's. Shoitormill, Surrey, of Rifleman Frank Rushton, 3/N.Z.R. 8., son of Charles and Helen Rushton. o! Petone, and Ethel Anita, daughter of John and Margaret Murray, of Bock Ferry, Cheshire. "Records of tho Raids" (London), by the Bishop of Stepney (Dr Paget), contains some humorous incidents. An old woman of 81, who had, in her own phrase, "seen the front door go na--' me up tho front staircase," refused to leave her .homo, for shelter. "I'd sooner die among mo pots and pans," she said. A resident in a large mocM dwelling said, "You seo. wo are quite snfo, because all here are contrite." She really meant concrete, says the Bishop. Another old woman, afraid to go to bed.on possible raid nights, said sho knew what sho would do when peace came: "I shall tak" r stockin's off. I haven't had 'em off for two years."

THE- BOUDOIR GA.MTLLE, a charm-ingly-appointed . suite ot rooms in Cooper's Building, Willis street, has just been opened by Mrs Cameron, the Toilet Specialist.. Modern treatments of tho Hair,., and.. Skin, .Electrolysis, Manicureall, tho. art and skill of modern beautyculture—are now "available at Mrs Cameron's hands. She lias already a large circle,of satisfied patrons .amongst Wellington ladies, anil hopes to > extend it from her new quarters. Ladies are invited toi call.'—-Aclvt. For, tho position of organist- at Bitr-ton-on-Trent (Eng.) Parish Church, tho applicants included five blind musicians.'"

l-'or Bronchial Coughs, taite Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, 1b Gd and 29 3d-

WEDDING- IN ENGLAND. A -sreddinfr of interest took place a# Bournemouth. England, on April 27tEI wiion Miss Idalien Simpson, daughter; of tho lato Pastor Simpspn, of PahiatUa. and Mrs Simpson, of Bournemouth, and grand-daughter of Mr and Mrs DrydejJ Craigie Lea, Karon, was married id Maior Vivian Gaekfll-Blackburii. 'of the Royal Air Force. TJio .bridegroom is a distinguished living man, though still under thirty. Ho has seen sen-ice iii England and other pnrts of Europe, and Mesopotamia. .Ho was the last to leave Kiit, and took part in a raid on Oujohaven in tho party, days of th« war, At tho wedding tho ounrch was charmlnriy decorated, and a. guard of liouour form' ed outside by the Girls' Ambulance Corps lot which the brido was n. •mcmbpyl wtirt mnd« an archway with sticks docYrraroi with flowers. Tho bndo wore, a slrrmlo crown of white erene do chine, with a wido swaflrng of georgette, and a white net to ii-Mo'i. JW l>nu<iiict was of pnjost mnkarrf white flowers tied with dreamers of tnle. The bridesmaid wa. s n tor of ihp_ bvidriTTOom and -wore' pale, error n \-r pinlr. with ; , wide blue Kelt and ln, la . no ,nr Hwl With hhlO. The best ma'i was Si- Algernon Guinness. Tho Vide * traveling costume was a "i-oon "■\ " , " *<"]* fr *"*- -n-'-l'li n navy rjhm Tfl,n, 1 M " "" f 0t f " rS - + "« : " !? lascv, 7 /-'li*"- Hie bridegroom Jifls J ■■f'afl appointment.

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