asons
for throwing open to women the more highly paid and responsible posts
were admirably set forth.

On behalf of the Association of Headmistresses it was stated by Miss
R. Oldham:--

"In asking that in future some of the more highly paid
and responsible posts in the Civil Service should be thrown
open to women, the Headmistresses are conscious of the
fact that modern economic conditions have evolved the
woman who must of necessity, as well as by choice,
become self-supporting. The professions of teaching,
medicine, art, and literature offer openings with adequate
remuneration for the highly educated young woman of
to-day. Those lower branches of the Civil Service which,
with a few exceptions, alone are open to women do not
supply posts of enough responsibility and administrative
power to prove attractive to able women of secondary
school and university education, many of whom, in the
opinion of the Headmistresses are fitted, both by their
education and by their natural ability, to fill positions
of equal responsibility with their brothers.

"They desire to submit the following reasons why
women should be considered eligible for positions of
administrative responsibility in the service of the
State :--

"(1) Women have shown by their success in positions
of great responsibility that they are capable of
undertaking high administrative work.

"(2) Women have special gifts for social investigation
and inquiry, and special knowledge in many
important subjects, which ought to be used
in the service of the State.

"(3) Under present conditions of women's employment
in the Service, the ablest and most
highly qualified women do not enter it.

"(4) The presence of a large number of women in
the lower branches of the Civil Service makes
it desirable that there should be women
employed in higher and more responsible
posts. This would have the effect of ensuring
good discipline and judicious promotion.

"(5) The present almost total exclusion of women
from high and responsible posts has the effect
of discrediting them as applicants for such
posts outside the Service. Private employers
when asked to give women opportunities for
rising to posts of responsibility, are able to
point to the failure of the Government to
do so."

In the statement submitted by Mrs W.L.
Courtney on behalf of the Council on Women's
Employmen