WOMAN'S WORLD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10683, 1 February 1913, Page 4

WOMAN'S WORLD.

It 13 staled tliftt a school for women mechanics lias been founded in a little town, on Long Island, near New York City, where courses in practical plumbing, masonry, bricklaying and other branches of the buildin" craft Oiro to be provided for 150 students. Already sixty applications for admission have been received from American women. Miss Eva Cresscy, a- Massachusetts girl twenty-fivo years of age, is the only practical road builder in America. Her father is a contractor for the Massachusetts Highway Commission, and when he was recently calledaivay she took his place as supervising foreman, beginning with the labourers each morning, and continuing, at active work all day. Miss Blackie, who is one of tho leading women workers in Scotland, recently offered herself for a second' time as a candidate for election to the Glasgow City Council. She stood for the Anderston "Ward, and v;a3 unfortunately again dofeated, the majority against her on this occasion being 841. She polled 1322 votes —an increase of 400 on her poll in 1911.

That 'lie appointment of women inspectors 13 proving beneficial to tho children of the nation is substantiated by a, statement nmde by ."Mm G. Pranks, chief sanitary inspector of Sheffield, at the conference of the Sanitary Inspectors' Association. Since the appointment of women inspectors in her city, according to Mrs Franks, the infant mertakly has been reduced from a proportion of 200 per thousand iu 1900 to 141 per thousand in 1911.

According to an investigation recently made by tho University authorities at Berlin there aro at present upward of 172 certified women doctors in Germany. Between 1569 and 19C0 forty-five German women took dental courses in America, and in tho decado ending 1912 upwards of sixty took the course in dentistry in Germany In both dentistry and medicine women are doing well in Germany. Oil the other hand the demand for women lawyer? in tho Empire is almost nil, according to tho investigation, and only twenty-eight r-ppear to be making any definite use of their diplomas.

A Johannesburg correspondent, writing to tho " Capo Times," states that a factor of growing importance in the social lifo of Johannesburg is the extension of the system of flats in the centre of {ho city. During the last couplo of years many large buildings have been erected, and this class of accommodation has been enormously increased. There were some people who were prepared 'to believe that the growth of the popularity of Cats would have detrimentally affected suburban areas, but the demand for houses in these districts has been well maintained. It is likely that flats will become increasingly popular and more big building schemes thereby encouraged.

It is interesting to learn that in California-, wliero woman suffrngo became law in October, 1911, women have during their one year of equal political rights with men, been made eligible for every public office in the State, including nil administrative and judicial appointments;- they have sat for the first time on commissions and juries, initiated the establishment of a police court for women at San Francisco, procured the appointment of women police, "tightened up" prohibition, and secured the appointment of State commissions of inquiry into the conditions of prison?, reformatories and State hospitals. They are now endeavouring to procure the par-sags of Bilk through the Legislature dealing with the abolition of child labour, the raising of the age of consent for girls to twenty-one year l :, equality of narentage, and pensions for necessitous mothers.

"The Bureau of Social Requirements" is America's latest fad. It is a sort of school for society's novices, and undertakes almost anvfhinsr and every filing calculated to make modern life loss arduous. Xcvr York orifrinctod Hi? idea, and succeeded .10 we H in fillingtil e lone-felt want ilia- not only \Tayliuigton. but other American cities, followed suit The burea.u is run by good business women, some of whom have been society hostesses in their lime, and kno-.v what is wanted by society. They have undertaken to choose, decorate and furnish houses, run them when finished, or supply housekeepers, secretaries and servants permanently or for special occasions. They will arrange and conduct balls, weddings. dinners, etc. The bureau is especially designed to meet the needs of newcomers to "Washington, who tremble lest they infringe some unwritten law of the country's diplomatic and social capital. Mrs Labouisse, formerly of Kew York, who has been twice married, is chief directress of the bureau, and has a staff cf qualified assistants, every one of whom is anxious to fill the needs of much harassed hostesses, or tutor 'those still ■untried in the social labyrinth.

Margaret Terry Hudson Grant, who is two years and two months old. is to be the most phvsically perfect woman in the world. That, a'i least, is the intention of h«r hihor. Sir Hi chard Grant, director of track atretics at the University of Minnesota. Ever sinco she was three weeks old. the baby has been training for the place she is expected to fill. The exercises have already had wonderful results. Some of the ways in which Margaret differs from other two-year-olds are these: Every part of the body is perfectly termed. Sho has a normal chest measurement of ninetee.n inches, and an expansion of nearly two inches. Her biceps muscles ir, ensure fire inche*. Si le could walk when she was ten months old. She could swim when she was canteen month:! old. Sho v«igha twenty eight pounds, without «n ounce of fat. Sim can walk up three flights of stairs and back , without slopping. The little girl, who has ! jr.st bcr.m to talk, delights in her exercise?. 1 The more common of these include a wnv.d | drill to strengthen and develop her eho;>i ! muscles; c?:oroises on a- horizontal liar, con- ' futility cf a ran>» heid in the hand of her 1 ftiihor. to which nhe car. linns for forty-five j mw.ds. ami r?r'<ii>iiisr «••!) 1 hi' fl<*>r and risiiii.' j wi-.h-iut touch in" the floor with k-?r hands. 1