A SLIGHT TO N.Z. WOMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 126, 31 May 1938, Page 12

A SLIGHT TO N.Z. WOMEN.

Demands for Equality In Civic Rights. An interesting discussion took place at a meeting of the Auckland branch of the National Council of Women held last night when, in expressing their congratulations to the successful women candidates in the recent city elections members took the opportunity of bringing forward the question of women's civic rights. "Xcw Zealand women have had their franchise longer than any country in the world," said Miss D. E. Jackson, in voicing the feelings of the council members with regard to the appointment of a deputy-Mayor in this city. In spite of this fact, she explained, the women voters of the country were not yet given equal consideration with the men, and the results of the recent appointments could be taken as e definite slight to the New Zealand women who* were willing to take their share of civic 'responsibility. A motion was unanimously carried by all the members present at the meeting that a letter expressing their views on the subject of women's rights in civic matters should be forwarded to the Town Clerk. After considerable discussion it was decided to send the following message to the Mayor and his councillors:—"We, as a representative body of Auckland women, must express our deep disappointment that advantage was not taken of the opportunity to appoint to the office of deputy-Mayor of Auckland an eminently suitable and qualified woman councillor, one who for a number of years has been a senior member of the council. Such an appointment would have been a matter of gratification to the women of Auckland, and would have been a graceful and fitting tribute, in view of the forthcoming" centenary celebrations, to the pioneer women, who equally with the men. have built up our city, and whom particularly at this time we wish to honour." In discussing the subject of women as Mayors and deputy-Mayors, Mrs. Eric Macdonald pointed out the fact that [this was no new venture. For many years, she said, other countries had granted this privilege to their women, j and yet New Zealand people, who were so progressive in giving women their franchise, still looked on this forward step with disfavoiir. Women Citizens. In thanking the women for their kind thoughts Miss Melville gave a brief address on the women citizens of this country., "For many years," she said, "womeji have been as equally good citizens as men, and apart from any personal motive, I feel that this recent overlooking of women's rights has been a slight to the women of Auckland and the wvnen of New Zealand in general. In a, country such as this it is definitely a backward step for it is denying women equal citizenship rights with men." Miss Melville continued to say that New Zealand women were not yet" granted equal privileges with men in civic matters and it would be a matter of disgrace to the country when during the centenary celebrations important women from overseas studied the question of women's progress in New Zealand. "What have the women of New Zealand done with the franchise that they have had longer than any other country in the world " she asked. "It is a question that very shortly we will all be required to face, and can we honestly answer that Ave have made satisfactory progress." Continuing on these lines Miss Melville suggested that as a subject for study during the next session of the New Zealand National Council of Women the women might well consider the status of the women of the country. "We are not helping ourselves as much as we might," she said, "and I believe that we can do a great deal of work in this subject if we will only try to better our positions ourselves. It is impossible to pretend, that justice and freedom for women run on equal terms for the men and women of this country," she concluded, "and during the coming year I strongly advocate a comprehensive study of the conditions." Miss Melville's speech was enthusiastically applauded by the representative gathering of women present at the meeting. Work in Wellington. _ Following this discussion of civic rights, short talks on the recent meeting held in Wellington in connection with the findings of the Macmillan Teport were given by Mrs. David Nathan, reporter for the Auckland branch of the National Council of Women, and Dr. Hilda Northcroft. Mrs. Nathan gave a summary of the remits passed at the meeting, the majority of which dealt with educational matters as a solution to the problem of abortion. The opinions of this representative meeting of prominent Wellington citizens coincided with the opinions already expressed by the Auckland branch of the National Council of Women, and pleasure was expressed by the members present that the Wellington citizens were proceeding to investigate the matter. Mrs. Nathan's report of the meeting was endorsed by explanatory remarks from Dr. Hilda Northcroft, who, in giving her views on the subject, stressed the vital importance of this problem to the country. "We still have a falling birthrate," she said, "and unless the women of the country imite, we will find that we are a dying race.''

The annual report presented by the secretary, Miss G. E. Hemus, gave a comprehensive description of the year's activities, and she spoke in detail of the work carried out by Mie Dominion Conference of the National Council of Women held in Auckland* this year. The election of officers for the coming session of tlip Auckland branch resulted as follows: —President, Miss G. E. Hemus:

secretary, Miss E. Griffin; members of the executive, Mrs. A. D. Campbell, Mrs. David Nathan, Miss B. Carnachan, Mi3S Elsie Bennet, Mrs. Kidi and Mrs. -