THE MODERN GIRL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16389, 11 July 1927, Page 7

THE MODERN GIRL

IS SHE WORTH HER SALT?

DIVIDED OPINIONS %

GAY LIFE CONDEMNED

(Special to (he Herald.) CHUISTCtI C RCH, this day. Is tho modern girl worth', her suit? How does she compare with her predecessors? For many months newspaper correspondents have heen racking their brains over these momentous questions, unable to decide whether she is' full of vices or virtues. In an endeavor to discover the truth, a, newspaperman interviewed prominent employers, social workers, medical men, and clergymen, of this city. Her condition is described as " terrible," "ghastly," find " deplorable." Business men, however, praise her abilities, which show a 100 per cent, improvement over those of Iter predecessors. Doctors applaud her physical condition, but clergymen are doubtful of any real religious influence. " I can say frankly that the social condition of the modern girl is nothing short of deplorable/ The blame is to be- shared about equally with her parents," stated Hiss F. E. Cardale. a firominent social worker of the Society or the Protection of Women and Children. " The parents seem to exercise practically no authority. The result is/ shown* i'n'hundreds (If cases that come under my notice of young girls of 15 and 16 running away from home, getting themselves into most serious trouble, and then returning to their parents with their lives ruined. The citizens of Christ church fail to realise what a great deal of this there is at the present time. I have just heard of a girl of ,15 who ran away from home and has been supported for several months at hotels by her gentlemen friends.

' A TERRIBLE POSITION., , "Of course, I come into contact only with the working girl, and I can honestly say that her position at the present time \is terrible. Proprietors of dance halls' 1 disclaim that there is the slightest drop of drink on their premises, yet it is a fact for which < I can vouch that many girls go home driink every dance night. They run away from home; they have no morals; th§y don't care what becomes of them." City business men, on the other hand, Were practically unanimous in their praise of the modern girl. " She is 100 per cent, .better than, her predecessor, and superior to the English working girl," said the managing director of Aulsebrook and Co.; the largest biscuit manufacturers in New Zealand, which employs in office and factory over 300 gifts. '" We choose our workers for their ability, their health, and their general character; I am satisfied that neve? before have we'had such an efficient staff than at present. A woman doctor who accompanied * # a doctor through the whole,'establishment the .other day was greatly, impressed with the fine type of working girls that Is employed, not only here, but. in all New. Zealand factories. All the same, I believe that in many cases there is not sufficient parental control. Parents should never let their daughters go wandering out without first inquiring where they are going, and when they will ; be back. In her business life the modem girl is admirable." TOO MUCH AMUSEMENT. "There can be no doubt," remarked a Methodist clergyman, "that her present dtevotjion to tjie more material•pleasures 6t\ life tends tq keep the .modern ;girl from the higher ideals jof life. She ';leads little or no spiritual ilifej being wrapped up almost entirely in the pursuit of amusement. I think her parents ai-e largely to blame for this, hut the conditions of modern life also play a large part. With so ?/marly occupations open to her, a girl is now self-supporting-at a much earlier age than she used to be. She resents ; parental interference, and insists on • going her own way, often not fully armed the facts of- life. She sel- , ditrtft comas to church, being occupied for the, greater part of Sunday in. recovering from Saturday nigfit. In spite of what proprietor's maintain, I can fairly say that a great deal of drinking does go on at city dances." Clergymen of other religions more or .. less agreed with these views..