WOMEN’S MIGRATION

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20669, 6 March 1937, Page 11 (Supplement)

WOMEN’S MIGRATION

SETTLEMENT IN DOMINIONS More than one member of the House of Commons in the debate on the Empire Settlement Bill emphasised the need to encourage British women to migrate to the Dominions, and it was pointed out, incidentally, that whereas in 1931 the women in Great Britain outnumbered the men, states “The Times.” This important aspect of Empire settlement is the special concern of the Society for the Oversea Settlement of British Women, which, even in this more or less “stand-still” period, is able to show gratifying results.

i The society was responsible for I settling in the Empire last year 333 professional women, among others, which compares with 228 the year beI fore, 187 in 1934, 140 in 1933, 152 in j 1932, 304 in 1931, 262 in 1930, and 254 |in 1929. The total last year was 476 • —the figure the year before was 365 i and of these women 294 went to the Union of South Africa, 85 to Rhodesia, 46 to Australia, 22 to Kenya, 16 to Can- ' ada, and four to New T Zealand. Miss Edith Thompson, chairman of ! the executive committee of the society, said recently that there was an increased interest in migration to the Dominions on the part of well-qualified young women with an urge to adventure. “We are in a position now.” she said, “to accept applications from nursery governesses and children’s nurses for I hosts in the Cape Province, Kenya, and

Rhodesia. Also, we are always able to place a limited number of fully-quali-fied schoolmistresses for private schools and train hospital nurses in the Dominions generally. We prefer women of between 25 and 35 and single for choice, and they must be of the right type. Some form of assisted passage would greatly assist in peopling the Empire with the right sort of young British women. Not every young woman, however enthusiastic she may be, can And the £4O necessary to take her to Australia or the £25 which it would cost her to reach South Africa." Openings in South Africa In the last quarter of 1936 the society placed eighty professional women, compared with fifty-nine in the last quarter of 1935. Among the posts which these young women are now filling are those of secretary in Melbourne. Nairobi, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, florist in Perth, nursery nurse I in Madras, masseuse in Bulawayo and j Maritzburg, fruit expert on a farm at Stellenbosch, governess in Johannesburg, Capetown ,and Kinnangap, tea- | room manageress at Constantia, hotel I housekeeper in Cape Town, social | worker in Cape Town, missionary at | Magwaza, and saleswoman in Johannesburg. Openings exist in South Africa in most trades and professions for the qualified woman. In the last quarter of 1936 25 hospital nurses were settled in South Africa and Australia, and during the year 116 were placed, compared with 58 in 1935. The demand in South Africa for trained hospital nurses continues Five staff nurses, wanted for a private hospital in Johannesburg, have been selected and will sail in February, while an institution in Cape Town desires the appointment of at least two nurses a month until further notice. ,