WOman’s Place is in the Home

Southland Times, Issue 22992, 11 September 1936, Page 9

WOman’s Place is in the Home

AN INTERESTING DEBATE. “Woman’s place is in the home,” was the subject of a lively debate in the Women’s Club, conducted by the Arts and Crafts Circle. Mrs Stanley Brown supported the motion and she was seconded by Mrs E. K. Mills. Miss C. McLeod led the opposition argument and was supported by Mrs A. M. Macdonald. Mrs R. J. Gilmour was in the chair. In introducing her argument, Mrs Brown referred to days of King Solomon and quoted from the proverbs the wise man’s praise of woman when her whole life was devoted to running her home. Mrs Brown said that running a home was a vocation, and the greatest vocation of all was one that only a woman could have—the carrying on of the human race. She strengthened her argument by mentioning mothers of famous men and their influences in the home. She pointed out the importance of early impressions on the child mind and concluded by asking: "Could the woman who ran her home as it should be run, guided her children as they should be guided, and who was a true

mate for her husband have time for anything else?” Miss McLeod pointed out the difference in running a home to-day, when modem contrivances were at hand to help the housewife, from the old days when work was drudgery. The housewife to-day had more time to spare and she should use it in things outside the home. She should apply her intellect to some training or profession, so that she would not be left a helpless widow with children dependent on her. Miss McLeod advocated a training or profession for every young woman so that her life would not be wasted and so that she would not become uninteresting and discontented. In conclusion Miss McLeod spoke of the successful way in "which a large number of women had managed their businesses as well as their homes. She spoke of the honours women had gained in civic and political life, and maintained that a woman’s intellect should not be confined to her home, but should be allowed to expand to things outside it. Mrs Mills spoke of the privileges of a wife and mother and said that every woman should be content to cherish those privileges. Mrs Macdonald said that in fairness to each other, women should be allowed to sit on juries, for only a woman could understand a woman’s point of view. She also pointed out the difficulties of over-population in many countries. In summing up briefly, Mrs Brown said that girls seeking careers developed flat chests and loud voices. The home was the most important institution in the world and it was a woman’s place to see that it was maintained as such. Some lively comment came from the “benches” and on a show of hands the opposing speakers were declared the winners.