B.H.O. Harry, letter, The Independent Wawanesa
[Methven MB] Dec. 24, 1913. Dear Editor:
Please allow me a little space to pass a few remarks on
the speech given by Mrs. McClung recently.
In attempting to excuse the influx of women into public
life, commercial and professional, she is putting up the
many-times repeated statement "that the women are forced out
of their homes on account of those industries which were
once carried on in the homes now being done in our
factories.". . . According to her theory, one would expect
to see the girls working in the factories but instead of
this they are seeking positions as stenographers. . . We
also see women seeking to take up Law, Medicine, Politics,
and growling because Theology will not admit them. Some of
them want to be managers of stores, captains of ships,
legislators, locomotive engineers, etc. Are they trying to
limit their activities to those things which were once in
the home? At the present time there are 400 women out of
work in Winnipeg, saying nothing of the 5,000 men similarly
situated, who appealed to the Women's Civil League (a
suffragette organization) to see if they could not remedy
matters. This League inquired into the matter and found that
practically all of the girls could receive employment as
domestics in good homes, but they were largely opposed to
this. . .
This world always has had and always will have an
intolerance for women who, with no moral right, attempt to
defraud the privileges due to man and the same time the
courtesies due to women. They must learn if they go into
public life to take the bitter with the sweet. .
I am, yours sincerely,
B.H.O. Harry
Reprinted by permission of
Women's
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