New Zealand Women.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13438, 9 November 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

New Zealand Women.

(By One of Them.) "New Zealand women are known in England just now chiefly as possessors of the franchise," Mrs Grossmann writes in the "Empire Review" in an article on "The Woman of' New Zealand," "and one of the first questions that is asked of them, when they disclose their birthplace, is what effect enfranchisement has had." In the writer's opinion, the effect has certainly been to raise the general position of women and increase their sense of responsibility. '"The distinctive feature of social life in the colony is a tendency towards equalisation. In one direction there has been the advance of the labqur-_ ing classes, in another the quieter pro" gress of women." Some critics deny the existence of a New Zealand tpye of woman; modern and more discerning critics, however, all admit it. But, as the writer says, there are marked peculiarities, the sub-tropical climate of Auckland developing a much less progressive type of woman than the colder South:

"Yet through all local differences there is slowly emerging a general type of womanhood. Atmosphere, climate and mode of living are forming and colouring it. The Maorlander is far closer to Nature than her English sister is. Much of her life is spent in the open air. In her holidays she goes mountaineering, camping out, and exploring virgin forests and by lonely shores." > . k The New Zealand women mountaineers and explorers are very few indeed. It is more true to say that "there is something of„the difference between the New*Zealander' and the Englishwoman that there is between a luxuriant forest and a wellkept garden. The Englishwoman never loses a cerUiin manner and style; they have become a second nature with her, but second nature is not quite the same thing as first nature. The New Zealander is more primitive and has more heights and depths and more moods, more variety and less uniformity of temperament.. She unites an optimistic Utopianism and a light heart with a singularly contrasted melancholy and sense of tragedy." This last peculiarity has been noted by many observers. It may be noticed even in the natives. The writer's chief explanation of it is that the scenery, once the colour and. light, are withdrawn, becomes "overpoweringly gloomy, rugged and desolate."

3.'he Npw Zealander is not English, but British,' Mrs-' Grossmann declares, in a country founded by both English and Scotch. She'is the result of a more complete fusion than has taken place within the kingdom . The New Zealander is more emotional than %he Englishwoman, and less patient. "Amongst advanced colonial' women there- is a'certdin amount of Aniericanism. They read more American publications than the English do; they quote authorities not recognised in Europe, discuss American ideas and like experimenting with' them. \More than- on© American sect has had a considerable number of followers, including women of some culture and social standing. While the upper class of Englishwoman shrink from any- innovations, the Antipodeans are always eager to hear something new." The writer remarks that New Zealand, women are far more domesticated than average London women. They are, in fact, a combination of feminism and home-

life: —"Even to-day ladies in New Zealand get much less ouUside. help in their housework than they do in older lands. K.-peeially in Ihe country, a, colonial makes many things that a Londoner buys ready-made". In the towns a good dressmaker often goes out by the day or week, and the mistress of the house sits and sews with her. Throughout the colony, and most of all in the Scotch districts, the colonial is an excellent cook, and prides herself on her puddings, cakes, scones and preserves." The New Zealand woman bakes for her "At Home," and bakes. well; the London woman also KonietiiiKS bakes, and bakes shockingly badly. Even Colonial ladies prominent in society must be. exceedingly domesticated.. Many' New Zealand Women, however, who'* never think of themselves as "advanced" take an intelligent interest, in political and social questions, "matters which," says the writer are diseiv.sesd everywhere." . . '

The dark side of this picture is that the New Zealand Avoman is attempting to do too many things, and overstraining herself .The lives W married women in the back settlements are often insuperably hard; they Income. mere . household drudges— ''dull, pat-tent. , and ''resigned, mentally inferior .not.'only to the men but to their own daughters;.* They have no. outlook. The progress of women hjis not affected them."

The young Colonial girl is vivacious and charming, but more selfish, says the writer, than the English girl. This is rather too sweeping a'generalisation. Tn education 6he'-specialise'."? much ln'v; Ihan the English Woman, and this is ono tav.se of her greater versatility. On the , whole, Mrs Grossmann thinks New Zealand W .developing a "large and free.typo r*\\ <n;uihood which is more and more diti'.i\.;.;..ting, itself from unmixed English or unmired .Scotch."