associate the position of
women in Galicia with some of the old matriarchal conditions. Women
are held in honour. There is a proverb common over all Northern Spain
to the effect that he who is unfortunate and needs assistance should
"seek his Gallegan mother." Many primitive customs survive, and one of
the most interesting is that by which the eldest daughter in some
districts takes precedence over the sons in inheritance. In no country
does less stigma fall upon a child born out of wedlock. As far back as
the fourth century Spanish women insisted on retaining their own names
after marriage. We find the Synod of Elvira trying to limit this
freedom. The practice is still common for the children to use the name
of the mother coupled with that of the father, and in some cases,
alone, showing the absence of preference for the paternal
descent.[318] The introduction of modern institutions, and especially
the empty forms of chivalry, has lowered the position of women. Yet
there can be no question that some feature of the ancient mother-right
customs have left the imprint on the domestic life of the people.
Spanish women have, in certain directions, preserved a freedom and
privilege which in England has never been established and is only now
being claimed.[319]

How completely all difficulties vanish from the relationship of the
sexes where society is more sanely organised--with a wiser
understanding of the things that really matter. The question is not:
are our women fit for labour? but this: are the conditions of labour
in England fit either for women or men? The supply of cheap labour on
which the whole fabric of our society is built up is giving way--and
it has to go. We have to plan out new and more tolerable conditions
for the workers in every sort of employment. But first we have to
organise the difficult period of transition from the present disorder.

I will not dwell on this. I would, however, point out that women must
be trained and ready to take their part with men in this work of
industrial re-organisation. They are even more deeply concerned than
men. The conditions of under-payment for woman's work are not
restricted to sweated workers; it is the same in skilled work, and in
all trades and professions that are open to women. For exactly the
same work a lower rate of payment is offered. Female labour is cheap,
just as slave labour is cheap, the woman is not considered as
belonging to herself.

There is no que