WOMEN'S INSTITUTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 267, 10 November 1934, Page 17

WOMEN'S INSTITUTES.

GROWTH OF MOVEMENT. SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING. There was a large attendance of delegates at the seventh annual meeting of the Auckland Provincial Federation of Women's Institutes, which was held in the Milno and Choyce reception hall yesterday. The president, Mrs. Stanley Phillips, presided. In her opening address Mrs., Phillips referred to the growth of the institute movement, and said that it had been found necessary to split : the Auckland Federation into two, ami to create next year a further federation for the extreme iiorth of Auckland. She expressed disappointment that at the Dominion Conference held in July,-Auckland had again been loft without any representation on the Dominion executive Committee. Mrs. Phillips said that she had attended over 70 institute meetings "■during., the year, and it her great pleasure to announce that another now Maori institute had been formed. The thanks of the institute were expressed to Miss MowTjrav, Mrs. L. S. Kickerby, and members of the Victoria League for their assistance in iustitute matters. Their help had been most valuable in judging , competitions, and they had kindly lent the use of the league rooms on conference days. References to the work of Miss E. Hopper, secretary, Miss E. Chihvell, treasurer, Mrs. S. V. Irwin, Mrs. Robb and Mrs. Trenby, who are retiring from office, were "made by Mrs. Phillips, who presented each with a bouquet of llowers. Bouquets were also presented to the president, to Mrs. H. Paterson, Dominion president, to Miss Lewis, and to Miss Mowbray, president of the Victoria League, and to Mrs. L. S. Rickerby. Miss Hopper addressed the members and thanked them for their loyal support during her term of office. She paid a special tribute to the, \vork of Mrs. S. V. Irwin, whose efforts had been of great service .to the movement. Mrs. Irwin later spoke and asked the members to keep in mind the possibilities of linking up all country women's movements and thereby creating a forceful body. Child Welfare Act.

A satisfactory financial position .was shown in the annual report and balancesheet, which were read and adopted. The reports of sub-committees were also read. These included one on the National Council of Women and Hospital Auxiliary work, one of the. distribution of plays and lectures, and one on the.distribution of patterns for clothes and toys. An account was given of the National Council of Women's proposed amendments to the Child Welfare Act, and a resolution was passed endorsing the action of tho council, and strongly urging that the. proposed amei.ilments should be immediately brought before the House of Representatives. It was also decided to appoint a second delegate from the federation to attend the meetings of the council.

' A number of remits was dealt with, those passed including the following:— "That the Women's Institutes support the Hon. C. J. Carrington's bill dealing ■with the sale of contraceptive's to youngpeople; that freedom of speech is the hirthright of every British citizen, and there must be no discrimination against any individual or group in respect of it; that to iU'low- private concerns to manufacture arms, ammunitions, and poisoned gas is detrimental to world peace, and that the women of New Zealand should initiate a world-wide campaign against .this.practice; that in order to assist in the recovery of prosperity the Government of New Zealand should explore new fields of production; that tlie National Council of Women be asked to endorse the principle of endowment of motherhood, and to organise an insistent demand for it. A remit, asking that the New Zealand institutes should start a systam for a doctor for healthy people, with a view to saving a small trouble from developing into a grave disease, was referred back to the Swarison Institute for details.

Backward Children. A special remit brought forward concerned the necessity for establishing a. school for backward children in the ~ -Auckland district. A member stated 1 that mothers of backward children who J ; lived in the North Island had to send their children to the South, which was unfair. The Myers Kindergarten catered to a limited extent for this type of child, but it was impracticable for most country women, who found it diffi- . cult to get such children boarded out in private homes. It was considered that a school and home combined should be established in Auckland. The remit was unanimously passed. The election of officers resulted as follows: President, Mrs. S. Phillips (reelected unopposed); executive committee, Mesdames Insley, Matheson, MjlHgan, Smith, Teape, McElwain, Revell, Rennie, Moller, Bagnall. A social evening was held, following , the conference, in the Victoria League i rooms. A play, "Snowed Up with' the Duchess," was presented by Mrs. C. Tait, ' Mrs. McCallum, Mrs. Buckley, and Miss H. Waite, of Greenhitho Institute, and other items were provided by members of the Auckland centre.