Daily camera., 1897-06-05
THEY NEED WOMEN.
Eur ropoan Colonies Where There
Are Eut Fow * ives
A Question That Is attracting Much
Attention-ObstacI in the Way
of Satisfactory Set


thus come under European flags is
nearly AS large, as North and South
America together. Some of these re-
gions have been found to be well adapt
ed for white settlement and e1nigrants
have been encouraged to go to them.
The EulOpean nations call these far
off lands their colonies, and they are
| very anxious to make them self-sup-
porting and develop them into markets
for home manufactures.
There, Is a question Which is attract
ing more and more attention, and that
is the scarcity OF White women in these
colonies in the French colonies, for
instance, even where the conditions are
most favorable for colonization, as in
Algeria, there are from four to six
French men for every French woman.
For the most part there is no family
life. and dissipation is more general
than would be the case if there were
mere homes and more of the social life
that is possible only when the sexes
are nearly equal innumbers. Mr.. Chail-
ley-Bert, who recently wrote in the
Paris Debats about the paucity of white
| women in the French colonies, said that
the young men there were Like the roar
ing lion, who "goeth about seeking
whom he may cevour."
1t is not easy to solve the problem
in the French colonies, for the young
women of France are not at all eager
to exatriate themselves, even to find
good husbands and comfortable homes.
There are hundreds of colonists who
would like to get married. a colonist
in Algeria has recently been telling his
experience. He says that for three
years Se sought in his own social circle
in France for young woman who
would share his fortunes in the colony.
At the end of that time his perseyer
ance was rewarded and he is now mar
ried. The fact Is, however, that he did
not find wife amongthe young women
with whom he had been accustomed to
associate. They liked the colonist, but
the colony terrified them. His wife IS
worthy woman, the daughter OF
farm laborer, and she is making him a
SoOu llti FlIltcl III lllS ColOilltiI llollS-
British and Dutch colonists do not
find it so difficult to induce the fair
sex of their old homes to share their
lot in newer parts, of the world; and
when they have found it really difficult
to get wives from the mother country
have not disdained to be joined in law
full wedlock with the daughters of the
natives.
Many white men are now living in
tropical regions, like equatorial Africa,
where they have really no right to ask
white woman to share their dangers
and hardships. Few women from the
north temperate zone are able to sur
ivive one or two collaborating expert
ences in tropical Africa. Some white
men who live there hara expressed the
opinion that it is little short of crime
to bring women of their own race to
those regions. The late DR.. Wolf, the
German explorer, said that any white
man there who wanted wife should
marry one of the natives of the coun-
try. Some of the Europeans in Africa
have followed his advice, and among
them DIR. Grenfeil, the explorer and
missionary, who married a negro girl
who had been educate-' - : 1ission sta
ton on the west coast.
Two months ago the Canadian news
papers contained an advertisement
from mining camp in British Co.
T. <Sl3 hot
the camp was wholly destitute OF
women, that neither gambling nor the
sale of Intoxicating liquors was per-
mitted in the settlement, that the min
crs were industrious, had saved money,
and now they wanted wives and homes;
and young women of the dominion
were invited to enter into correspond
once with committee as preliminary
to possible immigration to the camp
and marriage with t''- ; .---.ss.lors there
of.
The scheme is not to be commended.
Each miner had better use some OF the
money he has saved to visit n district
where women are plentiful. If he is
the right sort, he will probably con-
vince some damsel that she can be
happy even in miners cabin in the
far northwest.
Even to-day, in large parts of Canada,
Australia and Cape Colony, there are
not women enough to supply the de-
mand for wives. BUT when the societies
that promote the emigration of women
to the colonies send out a party, the
last thing in their minds, apparently,
is the better chance these women will
have to get husbands. They simply
send women who lack work to colonies
that lack womer- HA' ..Eacter and
fitness for eInlgrateon mast be ap-
proved, and then they are sent on the
long journey in, the charge of matrons,
who see to their comfort and are re-
sponsfble for their safety until situa-
tions that will yield them living are
found for them The United British
Women's Emigration association. the
largest of all these societies, would re-
fuse. to assist amy woman to enigrate II