A MUCH TRAVELLLED LADY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2151, 6 August 1907, Page 1

A MUCH TRAVELLLED LADY.

INTERVIEW WITH MISS ADA MURCUTT. “I am a Victorian by bjrtli—or rather an Australian for wo' aro all. Australians now since tho Federation—and commenced, social reform work in Victoria, afterwards travelling over tho whole of Australia,” said Miss. Murcutt in an interview with a “Times” reporter oh Saturday. “It was really through visiting some of the prisons and seeing the degradations of women that I became interested in the work. Since childhood I have had a desire for travel, and when a mere schoolgirl used longingly to watch the vessels steaming out of Hobson’s Bay. After my Australian experience I resolved to study the social conditions pertaining to other lands—particularly concerning the status of women—and have been travelling and lecturing for the past ten years. During that time I have travelled a distance equal to twelve times round the world.”

“Is not the life fatiguing??’ “Well to some extent it is, but I am blest with a good constitution, and my heart is in my work. I have had exceptional opportunities for studying the conditions' of the people in various lands, and in addition to lecturing for various Societies I have done a good deal of-journalistic wor’k.” Miss. Murcutt. laughingly denied a suggestion that she had made a study of elocution. “You know that our sex are naturally gifted that way,” she explained “ all women are born speakers.” "Only in private,” rejoined the newspaper man, whereat Miss Murcutt laughed merrily. “What I have seen in tho course of my work must arouse the best that is in ono,” she added earnestly. “I speak from the fullness' of my heart.’ England was the scene of her earlier efforts. She saw slum life in all its horrors, and gave the public her experiences. Later on when her observations became widened by travel she was made a member of tho Royal Geographical Society of Scotland, anti lectured before tho branches of that Society in Dundee, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, and also before the Royal Geographical Society in London. She has a warm corner in her heart, for Scotland, which country also she traversed, giving a successful series of public lectures. Miss. Murcutt recalls with pride that when leaving Scotland she was accorded a public farewell in the great City Hall, Glasgow, and presented with an illuminated address, signed by the officials of the Social Reform Society, and by representatives of the citizens of Glasgow. “At that farewell,” she mentioned, “there were 300 persons arranged in the national costumes of 30 different countries who marched across the platform ill procession and saluted me.”

This the reporter concluded was a tribute to her knowledge as a traveller. “I do not want to bo thought egotistical in motioning these things,” said Miss Murcutt, “hut you newspaper men are so pertinacious. Happily I am not a bit self-conscious.” The story of tho lecturess’s travels abroad is too long for recital in this column. Miss Murcutt has a great fund of incident, anecdote, experience, grave and humorous, anil what is more knows how to recount them. They will come out piecemeal in lior lectures.

Tlie conversation turned to the conditions prevailing at Homo., with which Miss Murcutt is exceptionally well acquainted. “Most deplorable,” was her summing up of the condition of the bulk of the workers. “To my mind,“ she said, “there is very urgent need for reform at .Home; one of the most pressing is that of land reform. I have studied sociology in the slums of Whitechapel, and' the East End of London. What I saw made me a .more ardent worker in every movement having for its object the amelioration of the conditions of the massos. 18 seems to me a terrible indictment that in a Christian country like Great Britain it should bo possible for tens of thousands to be born into the world without a chance, to live without a chance, and to die without a; chance. Equality of opportunity is what wo must strive for. The colonies are a

paradise compared with the Old Land. As a rule throughout Great Britain the working classess are poorly paid, badly housed, under-fed and overworked. This seems a sweeping assertion but it is the case as can be proved beyond all doubt.” Is there any prospect of permanent reform?

“The signs are more hopeful,” replied Miss. Murcutt. “There ha never been such a Parliament in the history of Great Britain. Labor is obtaining better representation, and in Keir Hardy, John Burns, and Will Crooks are powerful men, striving for advancement in legislation. The outlook is better because the man

n the street 1 , the man in the factory,

the man in the mine is beginning to realise that he and his class have been exploited for many years by privileged classes. The process of reform is evolutionary; the reform for the masses must come from the massess."- In the congested portions of London—and this applies more or

less to all the big cities—the people are housed worse than cattle. A great change will take place when the mosses iearn to act more unitedly in demanding better condi.tioins of labor and better opportunities. I believe the privileged classes will fight hard against drastic reform. Before any great change takes place, I believe also the House of Lords will have to bo abolished. That Chamber would treat a Land Bill the same as it treated the Education Bill—it is a stumbling block in the path of progress. I believe in a second Houso of elective character.” Enlarging on the slum conditions A! iss. Murcutt declared that 50 per cent, of the people are improperly and indecently housed. In the East End it is nothing uncommon to see 12 or 14 persons, of both sexes • and all ages, living in one room. Rents are high and labor is cheap, hence they have to herd together to get a shelter at all. Sweating is rampant and the worker has scarcely enough to keep body and soul together. A terrible story is Miss Murcutt’s indictment about womap

and child labor. Had tho landlords in tho East End of London alone to givo proper air space to the inhabitants it would mean tho building of 900,000 additional rooms. The traveller expressed herself as being delighted with tho advance she observed in Australia after a 10 years’ absence. “If makes me quite enthusiastic about my native country,” she declares, “I have heard quite a lot about- the Labor Party ruining Australia but it seems the right kind of ruin when tho country is brought to such a flourishing condition. I think ono reason for the great strides made—and I am glad to note it—is that, tho people are going in more for land settlement than formerly, and have been, blessed with good seasons. It is a most hopeful sign when prosperity comes from the soil. Federation is in tho tioublesome transition stage, but tilings will right themselves. Australia has the brains. The Common-

wealth has raised the whole status of Australia. I was very glad to sec the good effect of women’s franchise in tho Federal elections.”

New Zealand implosions were in

cited. “I came two months ago prepared to fall in love with New Zealand, and its people,” said the keen observer, “and I have done so. Nature has provided you with a grand country, and the people are sturdy, energetic and far-seeing. It is a marvellous tiling to me, after the saddening work at Home, to travel up and down this colony and see the nice homesteads everywhere, the progress of closer settlement, anil all your merchants and tradespeople in such good circumstances. Every person in New Zealand seems to have that chance wo ask for. At f same time, I don’t like to see so much landed property in the hands of a few—England’s example is a warning—and I shall watch with great interest the fate of Mr. McNab’s statesmanlike land proposals. I hope

they will soon become law.” The working of the Arbitration Act; the establishment of the offices of Public Trustee, and the Old Age Pensions Act were matters that the visitor noted with satisfaction. In connection with pensions, she said the masses at Homo were beginning to realise that it was a goal to strive for,

and many statesmen were favourably disposed. It seemed to Miss Murcutt that there was something fundamentally wrong with a Government that neglected its aged poor.' A thing that favourably impresses the visitor after experience ■ abroad is the State ownership of the railways.

Immigration was mentioned. “I believe the conditions of this country so attractive,” the leeturess said,

“that, but for its distance away, New Zealand would bo too small to accommodate all the Home people who would want to invade your shores. Personally, I believe New Zealand js going to he one of the great countries of tho world. It will raise a standard for other countries to endeavour to emulate.”

Talking of other than British countries, Miss Murcutt has a. very good word to say for the United States. It is a country of groat potentialities and opportunities, she considers, and its citizens are permeated with a progressive and democratic spirit. Air. Roosevelt is "a very great man” and a mail of principle. His fight with the gigantic trusts arouses lier enthusiasm, as being in the interests of humanity, and she believes lie and his successors will triumph in the end. The country has never been more prosperous than at' the present time. In Aliss Alurcutt’s opinion the manner in which so many nationalities have been welded into one harmonious whole is one of tlie greatest achievements of the age. A dark cloud on tlie horizon in America is the negro question. The continent of Europe is an open book to Alios. Murcutt. The conditions of the masses do not. make good reading as a whole. In Germany. however, public sentiment h.u been aroused against sweating and legislation is eojiing with it. Russia is in a, deplorable state. “From wliat I have seen I think it impo: sible t'o control that great country Containing six million square miles, by one Central Government. It will be disentegrated slowly but surely. Wliat the masses really need more than anything else to lead t'liem to victory against the bureauocraey is a strong loader.” 1 “An awakening to a sense of national life,” conveys Aliss Alurcutt’s

impressions of the Far East. : Japan lias no liking for foreign exploitation and China is beginning to realise her own powers. China resents the political intrigue by which she has been exploited, and bears animus, the traveller has good reason to believe, against Britain for the manner in which the opuiin trade was thrust upon the people. “The trouble in India is likely to become more serious than most people imagine,”’ says Aliss Murcutt, “as there is a widespread seditious feeling abroad. While British rule has been beneficial the

treatment of the natives by a great many foreigners lias engendered a spirit of strife, and lias brought the people to believe that it is necessary for them to defend their rights.”

The lady’s views on the so-called “Yellow Peril” arc interesting. “The Chinese hate foreigners; there is no doubt about that. I think it is due to the evil of tlie opium traffis, the exploitation of the country by foreigners and the treatment Chinese have received abroad. Some people are alarmed a.t the view that the Oriental has been adopting the materia! elements of our civilisation without the spiritual, hut I think both the Japanese and Clinise are peaceloving people. All they ask for is

to be allowed to work out- their own destiny. We have refused to allow them to do it. Japan over 250 years ago closed her ports to the' outside world, forbade any foreigner landing oil her shores, and refused to allow any of her sons or daughters ti emigrate abroad. It was the West that compelled her to re-open those doors and it is the West, that has compelled the nation to arm.

Russia lias been threatening Japan’s national safety so long that in selfdefence she was compelled to organise an efficient army and navy. China asked in vain to be left alone. As to a Yellow Peril, 1 think yellow people have far more need to bo afraid of the white peril.” Aliss Alurcutt spoilt eighteen months in the East, going through Japan, and to Korea, Siberia and the dreaded

Saghalien Island prison. Tho hist named is a place she would not revisit under any conditions.