THE WOMEN OF HOLLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2688, 20 September 1905, Page 75

THE WOMEN OF HOLLAND.

The women of Holland are very proud of the fact thai* they are ruled over by a 3 r oung Queen. They are inclined to ascribe the revision of the laws of their country relating to their interests to the womanly influence at the head of the State. — The Laws Affecting Women. — ■ TEe last few years have seen a gn-at change in the laws affecting women. Fathers hold no longer sole power over their children, .but parents have equal rights, a fair enactment that has only comparatively recently been made law. In the case of divorce or separation the judge forms an opinion as to which parent should have ihe custody of the children by weighing the report of a family conclave formed of relatives of both sides of the interested parties. Her property, savings, or future earnings can be secured to a woman in her marriage contract, but it is interesting to note that, should the Dutch wife omit to claim this privilege before her marriage, her husband has the power to take

possession of any earnings which she may make in the future. — Professional Women. — With regard to the throwing open ot professions to women, little difficulty has been experienced. If a woman is able to pass the qualifying examinations there is no bar to her subsequent admission either to the legal or the medical professions. A bureau for the convenience of professional women is one of the most useful institutions in Holland. In all parts of the country agents collect and distribute information on every point connected with women's work. Advice is given on the subject of education, and with regard to the special training required for certain professions, inquiries are made respecting vacancies and lucrative openings at home and in the Dutch colonies, and applicants are put into communication through the bureau with possible employers. — The Revival of Lace-making. — I An industry which has gained considerable popularity in Holland is that of lace-making. It is a revival of the old handicraft for which Holland was once famous, but, as in our own case in the Midlands, the industry suffered from the introduction of machine-made lace, and until a few years ago the work was only kept up by a few lace-makers in the country villages. The desirable old patterns have fortunately been preserved, and the new development of the craft promises to be a very flourishing one. — Female Linguists. — Dutch women are proverbially well read and educated. Their forte is certainly languages, v.'hich they learn with the greatest ease. Their own language presents such enormous difficulties to the foreigner that it is incumbent on them to make themselves understood in at least one other tongue, but it is not unusual to find quite small girls conversing freely <, in four or five languages. In those parts | of Holland which border on Belgium or Germany, French or German is very generally spoken, and in engaging a governess for her children a Dutch woman, in whatever part of the country she may reside, makes a point of securing the services of a lady with a perfect know- | ledge of both these languages in addition to her own. — Evening Standard and St. James's Gazette.