ABSTRACT
ART. 1-1872. THl!: Census returns of Jast year tell us that there are 925,000 more wornen in England than men. This disparity is balallced in other countries, but in England the fact remains that there are nearly a million more women than men, and this disparity in numbers is on the inerease. 'Vhat is being done for this mlljority, how they are to be emp10red, how edncated in the future? How mueh progress has been made in the past year to a sntisfactory solution of the economie amI s()ciul problems which the con<1ition of wornen presentsin these days, and what is the special work to be done in the fortheoming year 1
Let us in the fil'st place take into eonsideration the qUe&- tion of education. A very satisfactol'Y step has been made in this direction, in the establishment of the Union forthe Irnprovement of Girls' Educlltion, which will give a new impulse to tbe scattel'erl efforts that bave been long makmg with this object, and ereate a pnblic opinion of the absolute need of education in women, without which those effol'ts will be unsupported. In the London University College aet of ] 869 tbe snme change was made in respect of education which Mr Jacob Bright proposes to make in respect of the fl'anchise. The elause whieh limited to men tbe education given in that college was repealed, and a eomplete cun'iculnm of college study is now open to allladies over se\'cnteen yenre of age. If this winters experiment prove usefnl, we muy hope t11at tbe council of tbe College will next autumn take up the work of tbe Ladies' Educational AssociatioD, and incorporate it witb its regular work.
