FABIAN SOCIELY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2355, 13 April 1899, Page 11

FABIAN SOCIELY.

1 • The first meeting of the autumn session of ' the Dunedin Fabian Society was held at the j Zealandia Chambers, Dowliug street, on FriI day night. The Hon. W. M. Bolt presided, and there was a fair attendance. Mr W. Hutchison read a paper on " The School and the Cottage," in which he referred (among other things) to the necessity of the daughters of the poor being educated, bo that they might become good housewives. He paid it might seem an extravagant assertion, nevertheless he was prepared to make it, that few reforms were more nece==ary than that ■which would be effected when our wives generally were found duly qualified to make their little rooms pleasant, to prize a few flowers, and to prepare a savoury meal. In the rural districts, where there were oatmeal and milk, it was hardly possible to mismanage food — the fresh air and exercise carried all before them ; but in towns the preparation of a meal should be a work of care — not in any epicurean sense. He spoke of cookery purely and entirely as a matter of health. Look at a workman's breakfast. Was not the tea too often infused until all the tannin was in the liquid, or the coffee not a liquid, but a muddy soup? The bread waß generally new, and consequently indigestible ; the milk frequently poor, and little of it. And the butter was hardly to bo named without a shudder. The cups were cracked and unmatched — the spoons were yellow — and there was rarely, a flower or a pretty thing Co please the- eye. He knew what a hideous thing poverty was ; but they would observe that he had not been speaking of things that cost much money — only of things that took a little time, and little care, and pome taste. Even to boil an egg rightly required more attention than many women bestowed upon it. To make porridge nicely was a rare gift. This dish was now very wisely U6ed almost everywhere, but the stuff seen at hotels was wonderful. It was his belief that only those wlio knew the shorter c&techipm could make porridge or bake oatmeal cakes properly. The modern fiends were indigestion, heartburn, and dyspepsia, each of them, with a eat-o'-nine-tails, Jashing poor Tom to the- dram shop. Every undigested, ir.eal, every airless room, made the man more ii clined to drink, and less capable of \"ork. Temperance reformers ought to realise that their movement meant many things over and above prohibition, and our good people of all sorts should lecture less on the vices of the pioletariat, and do a great deal more in the way of educating the young in ?".l knowledge, even a knowledge of common ihiutfs, and in a, faith which alone made knowledge operative tov/ards benign and useful result.

Mr W. Hood said if he understood Mr Hutchison's paper, he thought Uie n»w woman wculd differ very much with him about teaching the rising generation. Mr Hutchison's idea seemed to be that the woman should be a toiler and spinner, and, to a very large extent, a domestic drudge. He (Mr Hood), however, thought that no one at the present time would agree with him. The whole tendency of the ago was to get women as far away from domestic drudgery as possible. The greater part of a working woman's time was wasted over the >wash-tvb — and the frying-pan. He was under the impression that there was no necessity for washing clothes at all. — (Laughter.) We should wear clothes that did not require washing. This question of cooking was a very serious question. No question, indeed, affected us more nt the present time. Western civilisation was degenerating, and tending .to insanity and drunkenness, and it was largely due to bad cooking, and the consumption of unwholesome adulterated food. An eminent doctor had declared that the frying-pan nad killed more men than the sword — (laughter), — and he believed it was true. We should train women to say: "I am not going to use the frying-pan unless no better appliance far cookins can be procured." — (Renewed laughter.) There was no necessity to treat this as a frivolous subject. He thought it was one of the most important and interesting subjects that that or any other society could employ itself in discussing. Mr Clark pointed out, in the course of "his reirarks, that owing to our proront inclubtrial conditions, women were bo badly paid that many of them could spare nothing from their earnings to adorn their houses.

Mr R. Wilson did not agree with the view that women should become more domesticated. He thought that in the future there would be a system of co-operabive households, and women would not cook in private houses. The cooking would be done in large quantities, and it would be done much cheaper than in private houses. With modern appliances, one person could cook for 300 people, and when we got better appliances one person would probably be able to cook for double that number.

The Chairman said he did not see that they could do without washing, as Mr Hood suggested. What kind of clothes would not require to be washed?

Mr Hood : We could wear paper clothes. — (Laughter.)

The Chairman pointed out that the factory system had disorganised the family, but it was no use endeavouring to perpetuate the old system in our domestic life. We would have to look forward to reorganising the family to suit new industrial conditions.

Mr Hutchison, having replied, asked leave to move the following motion : " That this meeting of the Dunedin Fabian Society cntei.i its protest against the proposal to send colonial volunteers to Samoa, as absolutely opposed to the principles to democracy, and as inimical alike to justice and humanity." The Chairman ruled that the motion could not be moved without notice of it being given. During the evening Mr Litolff played a piano solo, and Miss Lack a violin solo, while Ml ? 8 Ada Matheson sang "At my window" and O, Divine Redeemer. " All the selections were greatly enjoyed by the audience, who applauded the performers very heartily.