Equal footing with men in the political world

*THE WORKER*

Brisbane November 17, 1894.

As to Women.

The last forty years have witnessed a remarkable change in our ideas to the position of women. Many years' ago women were called on, nay, in some countries are still called on, to do work such as digging on farms and truck-pulling in mines. This was supposed to have a brutalising effect on women, and therefore on the coming generations. Accordingly, legislation and an altered public opinion stopped all this, and the pendulum swung too rapidly in the opposite direction. From being a drudge, woman tended to become an inane manufacturer of antimacassar, cushions, bead-pictures, and such things, useless from the economic side, ugly from the aesthetic, and occupying a time unduly proportioned to the result. Some worse still, read trashy novels, or idled their time away.

Gentlemen considered it a point of honour to keep their womankind in ladylike indolence and helplessness. True, some girls were educated in the care of a fine house. But, owing to the excess of males over females, and the improbability of many husbands possessing houses equal to the wife's old home, most of these girls were forced to face the problem of keeping a family on a small sum. They were compelled to do all the drudgery, as they could not afford a servant – nay, they were often driven to take in outside work to eke out the husband's insufficient income. For this sort of home and work they were unprepared; and, instead of being helps to their husband, they became, like David Copperfield's child – wife, worse than hindrances positive milestones. Often, in a house where there were many girls, sufficient housework did not exist to provide work for all, and most of their time was devoted to useless fancy work and trivial so called “accomplishments.” These girls, having never given serious thoughts to one of life's great problems, and trained up on such a system of fancy work were the despair of sensible men, who saw in them useless wives and creatures incapable of rational conversation.

When the father died, these girls were thrown on the world, or on the charity of friends – the shabby genteel, ladies in reduced circumstances. (Oh! Expressive word!); or incompetent governesses meekly submitting to the insults of vulgar, parvenu mistresses. Now, thank Providence, this cruel system is dying or dead. Fathers see that is wise for a girl's own character and happiness that she should know something of work, of life's duties and responsibilities. If so happy as to be independent, such girls have time and ability to help and bless others. If suddenly thrown on their own resources they are not helpless. Such girls make useful wives, and women capable of rational, sensible conversation. We are at last delivered from the shallow ladies' boarding – school miss, capable only of chatter and giggling, the despair of future husbands. Mr. Walter Besant steadfastly protests against the too forward swing of the pendulum. He insists that women should be trained for the home alone, and that women trained for other duties, loses her noblest influence. But, unless the marrying tendencies and opportunities of young men improve, there must be an increasing number of girls in excess of those required for home duties. We may make bold to assert that coming years will see men driven from clerical work, half the educational and medical field, light factory work and other work which could be done by surplus female labour, and a larger percentage of men will return to those occupations for which their strength fits them. For it cannot be denied that men at present occupy places which stamp them as effeminate and wanting in manliness. Parents will do well in choosing occupations for their sons to consider the relative risk of female competition in the chosen occupation. Men have been legislating for ages, and not very successfully, in women's interests. She is now, with the aid of machinery, going to become a bigger factor in the industrial world. Consequently it is only right to place her on an equal footing with men in the political world, so that she can directly have a voice in the conditions under which both herself and her children will have to work.

                                                                                                                      I.THURIEL.