WHAT ARE WOMEN DOING?

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13449, 22 November 1907, Page 2

WHAT ARE WOMEN DOING?

A curious correspondence- has been run-ning;'in-a London paper oil the place of woman in modern .life, '1 he following is one of the vigorous class of letters published :• —"Wheie women ought to be ;s entirely beside the question. Her proper sphere may be in Can ad it, in commerce, or at the wa,'h-tub and cradle; but the (juestion to be faced is, where is she today? The last census showed that 27 per Lent, of the self-suppporting population were women. In the British factories the numb, r of women employed is almost double the number of men. I lure aie in England and. Waks a'.one 130,000 women 'trade, ami.-onisls.

" Woman's place is at home." Well, there are thousands of women ,who have no honi'.s; there are thousands of women who have to- labour outbid© to provide the wherewithal to keep their own liome.s. There are thousands of women lodgers. There are -thousands of married women who are forced to work in factories (as ab Dundee)., in forges fas at- Cr-idley Hea.'.h), and in all sorts of occupations all over the country, in order to supplement the m-agrp" and insufficient, wages paid to (heir husbands, 'l'iho economic conditions of cut time are driving the female in ever-' increasing numbers -to 'typewriter, and factory for a living, the father's .-and brother's wages herns insufficient to keep, the daughter and sister at home. _ ■ • But suppose -f-very: woman did stay athome. •Is not- her labour in clean.ng,; tidying, food-buying, cooking, and in the rearing' of children -of as much value* to' the' Sta.t.3 as is the labour-of men who bottle beer, wheel barrows, ( or raise prices of food by gambling on the Stock ' Exchange? Dckn. she not- bear a share of. the taxation still? Has she not -to ol>?y the laws' still, and would .she rot. be a better wife, more- attractive daughter,, and a more capable mother if «he were a- 1 -. Towl-.rl tlo id'eyelop Isav intelligence and *L'mulate her faculties bv exercising nn interest in the> affairs of, the vFJtate .. of which .she is willy nilly. , a unit ?"