EXTRAVAGANCE IN WAR TIME

Otago Witness, Issue 3332, 23 January 1918, Page 58

EXTRAVAGANCE IN WAR TIME

BRITISH WOMEN BLAMED. War-time prosperity, according to many expert observers, has "been the cause of serious deterioration in- health and character in hundreds of thousands of English women •of various classes of society, says Mr F. A. Wray, writing in the New York Tribune. Extravagance is the chief charge levelled in this respect, and three distinct classes of women are said to -be offenders. In order of demerit they are the wives of "profiteers"—i.e., men who have made great fortunes out of war. profits; girl munition workers, and a certain, proportion of soldiers' wives. Money has been flowing there like water. . Theatres, concerts. movies* whatevei- the prices, are packed to suffocation at all, times. The shops are doing a record trade, especially those selling any kind of apparel, and only the highest priced goods are i demanded. " Latest Paris fashions" are I everywhere displayed, expensive fur coats J in endless supplies are apparent, and jewellers enjoy a prosperity hitherto unknown! In fact, any shop selling any kind of luxury seems able to do all the business it wishes. Restaurants, especially those where food is dear, are crowded at all times of the day. At the same time, as the result of many inquiries, I found there is practically no tr"th in the stories circulated of the fancy : inflation of munitions workers' wages in the North of England. In fact, considering the work done, the wages cannot be said to be more than adequate. In London it is commonly reported that women in Lancashire are making £7, £B, and even £lO weekly on war work. These 'figures are absurd exaggerations. I find that women engaged in shell-maknig rarely average more than £2 10s to £3 a week. In numbers of cases they never exceed £2 a week. _ The normal peace rate of wages for this class of worker would be £1 or £1 10a weekly. In Yorkshire, particularly Pb'effiol.d. rates are generally 10 to 15 per cent, higher. Taking into account the increase in the cost of livin.2, these women have mado very little profit out of their tremendous work in the making of munitions. The third class, that of the soldier's wife, against whom the charge of extravagance is made, is not a very important quantity. Any opportunity, except in two cases, is out of the question. There is the case of the wife of the farmhand whose normal/ wages are about 18a a week, but who, if ho has six children, will receive an army separation allowance of about £2 a week, ; and thus be better off. And there is the instance of the soldier's wife, who, apart from her separation allowance, is engaged in war work herself. Neither of these instances gives opportunity for wild bursts of extravagance. But there are two other counts in the present-dav indictment of women. *One is on account of drinking, and the other of smoking. In both oases sociologists see grave danger to the future of the race. In regard to the former, there is no doubt on the point. Any" ; Englishman able to judge for himself will state that women in Britain are drinking to twice and three times the extent that was common before the war. Formerly it was exceedingly rare to find a woman seated in a saloon, unless of the lowest class, and even, then she was almost invariably accompanied by a man. But nowadays it is almost impossible to go into a saloon without finding young women from the age of 15 upward boldly entering ; and ordering drinks. I

:ha oth--r charge mido against Enpbsh v women is that of excessive smoking. This is another habit that has grown to such proportions that a member of; the House of Commons, Arthur Jacobson, has been asking that assembly whether measures cannot bo taken to stop the practice entirely.

Physicians deolaim luriuisfc the 'nractJoe, but the more they condemn, the wider the habit grows. Many social investigators and workers that there is no present serious menace to the character of Englishwomen either in wasteful spending of money c,r drunkenness or smoking, taken separately. But when the three occur together, then they fear that the moral fibre of the nation may bo weakened.