WOMEN'S SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LEAGUE.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14432, 13 August 1912, Page 3

WOMEN'S SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LEAGUE.

TO IHE EDrTOn OP "THo PJ'ESS." Sir, —As your report of the Women's Canterbury Social and Political League Meeting seems to havo given a rather erroneous impression of the cause of its adjournment, may I a?k you to insert this letter to explain what took place; . After a few words from the president, the hon.,...secretary, was asked, to read the minutes''of the last meeting. She explained - that there, were two sets of minutes' to be read, a:*,, the last meeting having been -en-? titely devoted to a lecture by Dr. Triiby King, thc minutes had not been read. The minutes of the men's meet-* ing read thus:—"That a deputation of the men's Reform League had attended, and had asked thc Women's League to form themselves into a branch of. their League." "Much diversity of opinion was shown to existon the question of tho desirability or otherwise ol becoming a branch of the Reform League, and the motion that the question be adjourned was moved and seconded and .declared clt-mi-id hy.. tho President. By "tlio Wording iof tho, hon. secretary's minutes, the wording o" the motion was given as "being adjourned till over the financial year (which occurs in October). The mover objected to tho'minutes being passed, saying the wording should have been "till after the Wellington conference." As no agreement oonid apparently be arrived at, the room being divided oa the question of passinsr the minutes us they stood, the President at last- gave it; up, and passed on to tho next basinoss, which was to bring forward a motion to form the Canterbury! Women's Social and Political League j into the Women's Branch of the Reform League, r which she did, in .tho.; ablo speech reported in "The Press." . Now, the whole crux of tho situation lay in the passing of the minutes, as if they had been passed, the motion would havo been entirely out of order. After tho motion had been put and seconded, and a resolution against it having been put, seconded and spoken to. several ladies in the body of -thehall demanded that:the meeting should ■ put itself in order by passing or re- ' jecting tho minutes. A show of hands was called for, and tho supporters of both sides were asked to stand and to ! divide themselves, but the President declared herself quite unable to count the numbers. Thus au absoluto impasse was reached. Tlio President made another appeal to deal with the matter iv ' hand. But a large section of the meet- ' ing felt that they must put themselves j in order on the. minutes. After much ' futile discussion, tho meeting was suddenly terminated by its adjournment by the president, who then asked those present who were in favour of her motion, to form themselves into a Women's Branch of the Reform League. This leaves the original Society exactly where it was, and they, no doubt, will lose no time in continuing their work. As there is no reason why both Societies should not exist, side by side, and do good work on divergent lines, it is to be hoped that many women will see their way. to. joining one, or bpth, f . and that all who are interested in the welfare of the community .will support the good work it.__is__hoped_.to. accomplish.—Yours,-'etc., K. August 9th.