BRILLIANT WOMEN AT CONFERENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 200, 24 August 1937, Page 12

BRILLIANT WOMEN AT CONFERENCE.

Aucklanders Impressions Of Personalities Met.

In a letter to friends in Auckland, Mrs. W. B. Darlow, president of the New Women's Club who is at present in America, having attended the Women's Pan-Pacific Conference in. Vancouver, tells of the many brilliant personalities she met at the conference. Dean Ballert, the newly-elected president of the Pan-Pacific Women's Association, she writes, went to Columbia 15 years ago to take the position' as dean of women at the University of British Columbia. She has occupied many important educational positions and as well as possessing a charming personality is a brilliant speaker. Mrs. C. T. Gauntlett, the past president and now vice-president of the association, holds many important positions in her own country (Japan), and is a charming and most intelligent little person. Her presidential address was most inspiring. Another brilliant Japanese woman was Mrs ; Toko Malsourka, a 21-year-old university student who thoroughly understood the economic position in her country. Her mother also played a prominent part in the conference. Mrs. H. C. Mei (Shanghai), who is also young, holds an important position in her own country. She is an excellent speaker and is highly intelligent. Mrs. Helen Gregory Mac Gill, J.P. and judge in the Vancouver Juvenile Court, had an interesting knowledge of labour laws. Mrs. Gretchen Steeves is a member of the Legislature for the Co-opera-tive Commonwealth Federation, Vancouver; also Mrs. Paul Smith, member for the same party in Vancouver. Mrs. Darlow also met Alderman Helena Gutteridge, of Vancouver. Vancouver has only one council and the eight councillors are elected by the citizens of Vancouver. Mrs. Gutteridge is the only woman member. Miss Kathleen Courtney, of England, was a very brilliant speaker who attended the conference not as a delegate but as a lecturer.

Mrs. Darlow met two interesting negro women who were not delegates, but came all the way from Detroit to the conference with the hope that the women would be able to do something for their people. ,One of them gave an excellent address. On her way through Detroit Mrs. Darlow hopes to investigate the negro situation and whilst en route to New York expects to call at several of the larger women's organisations.