64 Establishment of Village Industries. [april, 



sold in 200 to 300 retail shops from Newcastle-on-Tyne to- 

 Plymouth, and also exported (e.g., to America and Denmark), 

 money going regularly into the pockets of a considerable 

 number of country workers. 



Under good business management, the Women's Institutes 

 are eminently fitted to revive and carry on this work. It 

 must be remembered that the occupations are such as do not 

 necessarily demand constant application, and that, therefore, 

 they appeal very strongly to the mothers and daughters who 

 can often employ an odd hour or two daily, or a few hours 

 weekly, on such occupations, with pleasure and profit to them- 

 selves, but who could not give regularly so much as three, 

 four, five or more hours a day. 



When considering the utility of " domestic industries " it 

 should also be remembered that if pleasurable and profitable 

 home work can be given to the grown-up daughters of a family 

 there is less likelihood of the girls leaving home for the urban 

 centres. 



This work, too, appeals not only to the cottage women and 

 to their daughters but also to a considerable number of women 

 of education and reduced incomes, whose education should 

 be of great value in a movement of this sort, and who are, in 

 fact, its natural leaders wherever they can be found. There 

 is every reason why educated women should join forces with 

 the cottage women, under careful and energetic management, 

 and to make rural employment of economic advantage to 

 themselves and to the nation. 



If these and other rural domestic industries are to be as 

 successful as they might be, and ought to be, it is necessary 

 that County Councils should provide instruction in them. 

 It is also necessary that, in addition to instruction, provision 

 should be made for supplying a succession of the most attractive 

 designs to learners and workers so that the public may con- 

 stantly see new articles coming on the market. 



If these two matters receive attention, and if, also, raw 

 materials are purchased, and the goods made from them are 

 sold under a system of co-operation or some other organised 

 method, success should be assured. 



