Jane Southland Says

Southland Times, Issue 21178, 3 September 1930, Page 12

Jane Southland Says

WOMEN AND INDUSTRY. This week a lesson in loyalty is being given to the people of Invercargill by business men and women who have combined in a commendable effort to demonstrate the worth of New Zealand made goods stressing the benefits to be derived from purchasing them in preference to articles manufactured in other countries. Such a form of education is sadly needed in this dominion where the inhabitants are rather prone to belittle "home made” goods, and accept without question those produced in other parts of the world. In this respect the women of New Zealand are probably greater offenders than the men in their desire to - obtain frocks and hats with what they consider,, the hallmark of Paris or New York, pass over the products of New Zealand, and frequently those of Empire workers. With the housewife. rests the responsibility of buying for the family and the home and therefore has the power,although she may not realize it, of helping to solve many of the economic problems of this young country. The enormous power of the housewife has never been fully used in New Zealand, although various organizations have recognized the value of woman in the home’s contribution to the solution of national problems. But the time has arrived for the formation of a non-party body which would teach among other things, the recognition of home economics as bases of citizenship. Such societies have been formed with great success in America and Sweden, and in the autumn of last year, a promising campaign was carried on in England by one of the largest organizations working in the interests of women. The object of that special campaign was to give the woman in the small town the same opportunities of social contact with live wires in the educational and political and art worlds as are enjoyed by women in great cities, and in recent years in village and rural institutions, which carry on a work similar to that of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union in New Zealand. The first batch of college-educated women in America applied their learning to home affairs—domestic service, for instance—with the result that some . forty years later Secretary Wallace (in 1923) established the Bureau of Home Economics in the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Washington, with Mrs Louise Stanley at its head, the outcome of which is its present extremely effective home economics extension movement, which deals directly with many housing and unemployment problems by means of the woman in the home.

Professor Lucy Salmon, of Vassar, made the first important move by scientifically investigating the domestic service problem. Iler book on this subject is a classic, embracing a world area—that io, a model of the form research into domestic problems may profitably follow. A scientific investigation may not always result in the solution of social difficulties, but at least it gives us a colid groundwork of facts, skilfully collected, collated, and classified, which is the best hope for the future. One of the first things Swedish women did when they had the vote was to start associations, non-partisan, democratic, and non-sectarian, all over the country, for the purpose of protecting and furthering all interests connected with the home, youth, and children. These associations are joined together in one federation with a central committee in Stockholm.

A New Zealand campaign, I think would be an excellent thing for surely there is no shrewdness to be compared with that of ■the woman, who has had actually to grapple with a small or moderate income, a growing family to educate and start in life, high prices, high rents and heavy taxes. When her wisdom is combined with political power, backed by experience in organization, we may expect important developments.