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Women in Ontario’s Economy PENING the provincial Conference for Women Called by the Ontario Depart- ment of Economics and Development. the Chairman Mrs. Lilah Lymburner explained that the purpose of the conference was to let women know where they fit into the provincial economy as consumers, as business women, and as homemakers. It has been said, the chairman remarked. that a woman has three reasons for buying an article: first, because everyone else has one; second, because no one else has one and she wants to be the first; andrjust because. The purpose of the con- ference was to influence women to be disâ€" criminating in their buying and to learn about goods produced in their own province. “This doesn‘t mean that we must buy goods just because they are made in Canada." Mrs. Lymburner said, “or that we aren’t going to continue to import goods. We just want to find a happier balance of trade. “Women influence the spending of eighty out of every hundred dollars," Mrs. Lym- burner said. “By buying goods made in our own province you can help to find jobs for the 75,000 young people coming on the labor market every year. You can't do it through committees, but you can through your daily shopping.” She urged women to look for labels, to ask to see Canadian-made goods if these are not shown to them and to compare them carefully with imported goods. Points for Prosperity The Hon. Stanley J. Randall, Ontario Min- ister of Economics and Development, reminded the conference that the services people expect of their government in education. health, welfare and other departments can be provided only if we have a prosperous econ- omy. 0f the 75,000 young people looking for their first jobs each year, manufacturing can take only about 15,000; the rest must look for employment in the field of services. But the government is constantly encouraging new industries to settle in Ontario; last year 163 new factories were opened. “We need to increase our exports" Mr. Randall said. "In the last year we have had 39 sales missions abroad, bringing us 81 mil- SUMMER 'l 965 Mrs. L. G. Lymburner, Chairman of the Conference for Women and the guest speaker from India, Madame Aroli Dutt, Asian Vice»President of A.C.W.W. lion dollars in trade. We must manufacture more goods than we need at home.” The Minister assured the women that advice from the people has a powerful voice in shaping legislation: and that the twenty-four women‘s advisory committees distributed over Ontario can have a definite influence on the provincial economy. The consumer is conâ€" stantly having her influence looâ€""As we buy wisely we influence the manufacturers to make the sort of goods we like." Mr. Randall said. He also stressed the point that “trade is a two-way street.” We must buy from other countries as well as our own. All we want is a chance to compare their goods with ours. “(omen and Their Jobs “If we went to college twenty-five years ago what we learned does not give us the skills we need today" said Miss Ruth Addison. the only woman on the Civil Service Commission of Canada. "More and more women now work for a short time after they are married, stay out for about fifteen years to raise a family. then look for employment again. It may he that during their years at home they should have academic training to keep in touch with their vocation. or they may need coorses in retraining. With automation con- tinuously throwing men and women out of employment many more will need retraining." Miss Addison felt that a country should make use of all its trained people and she regretted that the proportion of women in the profesâ€" sions has been decreasing in the last few years. Two pressing needs in our society, she said, are giving more thought to the education of a girl to fit her for both marriage and a career, and making better provision for the care of the pre-school children of working mothers. Mrs. Lymburner here quoted this note- worthy observation: “Women know less than I9