THE POSITION OF WOMEN 73 



mental difference between the natural outlook of the 

 two sexes. Honours and distinctions are abundantly 

 provided by which services of varying value and 

 importance rendered by men can be recognized and 

 rewarded. There is little such provision for women ; 

 and, when we hear of their bestowal, the announcement 

 frequently rings false even in the ears of the unthink- 

 ing. Instinctively, every right-minded person knows 

 that the one essential service a woman renders to the 

 State can neither be judged accurately nor rewarded 

 adequately. 



If we set ourselves to examine the causes which 

 influence the position of women in a society, we find 

 that they fall into two groups. The first may be 

 classified as a biological and numerical factor, and the 

 information to be gained from a study of the influences 

 involved is still very slight and obscure. Nor are we 

 on much surer ground in our second division, in which 

 we set out to determine the influence of occupation of 

 the national or local industries on the status of women. 



Yet since the chief burden of maintaining a sound 

 hereditary stock of the national assets of good health, 

 good ability and good character falls on the women, 

 any study of heredity and society will fail infallibly of 

 its purpose unless it take account of the number and 

 character of the women employed at any time in this 

 most fundamental of all occupations, and note the 

 tendencies to diminish or to increase the quality and 

 quantity of the workers therein. 



As regards the numerical factor the actual pro- 

 portion of men and women born in the world there 



