N.C.W. MEETINGS WELL ATTENDED

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31678, 14 May 1968, Page 2

N.C.W. MEETINGS WELL ATTENDED

Attendances at branch meetings during the year had been steady, the president of the Christchurch branch of the National Council of Women (Mrs C. J. Ashley) said in her annual report. There were two new affiliated so-

cieties, the Disturbed Children’s Aid Movement and the Upper Riccarton women’s branch of the New Zealand Labour Party.

Throughout the year, committees dealing with education, bousing, justice, health, television and cinema, and social welfare had presented renorts. Mrs Ashley said. The remit committee had (cent delegates and their societies adequately informed about remits. The chairman of the associates group (Mrs G. M. Samson) said the year had shown increased >articipation by members. Nine meetings were held and at nearly all of these there was some discussion on topics of interest and of remits.

The group was proud that the vice-president (Miss B. Webb) had been appointed to a committee set up by the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) to review the list of exempted goods under the Shops and Offices Act, Mrs Samson said. HUMAN RIGHTS

“This is the Internationa) Year for Human Rights. Human rights are still being fought for throughout the world and it is our duty to

study and have an understanding of the problems confronting us today,” she said. “New Zealand is more favourably placed in all respects than most other countries, but we must not be complacent. It is healthy that our group comprises women of different views who are not afraid to state their opinions.”

The social welfare sub-com-mittee thought the study of the problem of unmarried parents could be worth while and that legislation should cover the responsibility of both parents for the child, according to the convener (Mrs D. J. Smith). ILLEGITIMACY

In her report, Mrs Smith said many interesting discussions during the year had been centred around the unmarried mother and her child and the means by which they could be assisted. The sub-committee would continue to seek Information and helpful suggestions on how best education on venereal disease could be forwarded, and on family life education, she said. The convener of the justice sub-committee (Mrs G. M. Samson) said in her report that the Criminal Justice Amendment Bill 1967 had been studied.

The committee felt the passing of the ’'ill would inevitably lead to an 'ncrease in the number of offenders under probation and was disturbed that the treatment available to those serving longer sentences for sex crimes might be inadequate, she said.

It was therefore thought de sirable that the osyehiatrlc services in prisons and the number of qualified probation officers should be increased.