OFFICIAL WELCOME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 237, 6 October 1936, Page 13

OFFICIAL WELCOME.

FUNCTION AT TOWN HALL. INSTITUTES GREET MRS. WATT. An official reception in honour of Mrs. Alfred Watt, president of the Associated Countrywomen of the World, was tendered her by the Auckland Federation of Women's Institutes in the concert chamber of the Town Hall yesterday afternoon. The chairman of tlie Auckland Education Board, Air. T. U. Wells, presided, and. there were also present on the platform Mrs. Stanley Phillips, president of the Auckland Federation ot Women's Institutes, Mrs. C. K. Wilson, Dominion president of the women's division f)f the Farmers-' Union, Mrs. W. Deans, Dominion president of the Women's Institutes, and Miss J. Mow-bray,-president of the Victoria League. There was also a large attendance ot both town and countrywomen interested in the movement. "It is particularly appropriate that we should be welcoming Mrs. Watt here in Auckland," said Mr. Wells, in introducing Mrs. Watt to tlie meeting, "because she was the first woman M.A. in Canada and a lady of this city, Miss Kate Edger, had the honour of being tho first woman graduate in the whole of the British Empire." 111 officially welcoming Mrs. Watt, Mrs. Stanley Phillips expressed the opinion that it would be far better for New Zealand to be herself rather than trying to be a "Pacific Britain" as some overseas visitors had called her. Mrs. Phillips also officially welcomed Mrs. Deans to Auckland and expressed the hope that her period of office would be a happy one. Mrs. Phillips then presented Mrs. Watt and Mrs. Deans with bouquets and was herself the recipient of a bouquet from Mrs. H. Teape, a member of the Auckland executive. A brief outline of the work Mrs. Watt had done for the movement was then given by Mrs. Deans, who mentioned that as a result of Mrs. Watt's outstanding achievements among the Canadian women she had been invited by the British Government to go to England to form institutes and a few years later was awarded the 0.8. E. in recognition ot her services. Mrs. Deans stressed the value of such visits as Mrs. Watt was now paying to the women of New Zealand, and expressed the hope that the institute's sister, the women's division of the Farmers' Union, would take every opportunity of hearing her. The Question of Amalgamation. "It is very fitting," said Mrs. C. K. Wilson in her welcome, "that Mrs. Watt should come to New Zealand, becau--2 it is a country that depends 011 the export of her farms, and thus the country men and the country women are particularly important, more so than ill most other countries of the world. It does Seem rather a contradiction that in a small country like :his there should be two organisations with the same ideals, the same aims and the same type of women as members. lam not wanting to push amalgamation unduly, but I feel sure that- it will come in Jtiine. We women all want peace, but if we of the same country and the same interests, knowing and liking each other as we do, cannot find a basis for amalgamation, how can we expect rfttions who do not know each other and whose interests conflict to keep the peace?" Miss Mowbray, in welcoming Mrs. Watt, said that it was visits such as this that gave the women of New Zealand fresh heart and fresh courage and she thanked those women who had joined such organisations for the betterment ot New Zealand. "I did not expect,," said Mrs. Watt in thanking the meeting for the warm reception they had given her, "that New Zealand would be like any other country. Her whole charm is that she is different and I am prepared to appreciate that charm to the full." The organisation known as the Associated Country Women of the World, Mrs. Watt explained, consisted of nearly 100 State, nationally and provincially organised associations of women throughout the world with headquarters in London. London had been decided upon because of its reputation for international hospitality and so that the association could provide homes for many young students from overseas. The movement had started very informally without a constitution; it had began actually as a liaison committee and after three years a small informal constitution had been formed from the resolutions it had been found necessary to pass during those three years." It was a non-political and non-sectarian organisation asking only of its affiliated societies that the majority of their members should be country women and that their aim should be the spread of education and the improvement of community life among the countrysides of the world. They had no definite peace programme, such as total •disarmament, defence or the nationalising of armaments, because their societies probably would not agree on any such programme. Breaking Down Barriers. The organisation, however, was very positive about some things, she continued; they would not permit criticism of one another among the societies, nor could the relations between one country and another be discussed. Organisations such as the German country women and' the Zionist women, the Ulster women and the Free State women worked side by side, and even at the Washington conference there was not the slightest hint of international discord.

"Every woman has a personal problem," saicl the speaker, "the problem of how to improve the feeling in the world by educating her children. She knows that there is no barrier in the world as high as the barrier of ignorance and prejudice and suspicion. She must inform herself before she can hope to keep her family open-minded." She further pointed out that a British historian had said that the twentieth century was remarkable for two great movements, the boy scout and girl guide movement, and the women's institute movement, and it was significant that when the British Government was attempting to undertake vocational training for the unemployed, it had to call in the women's institutes for help. Mrs. Watt concluded by describing the tremendous impression made on the Washington conference by the presence of three New Zealanders and by the Maori welcome spoken by the leader. During the afternoon a Maori welcome and several Maori songs were sung by Mrs. Harold King, accompanied by Mrs. W. H. McKinney. After the addresses many of those present were introduced to Mrs. Watt personally.