MOTHERS' HELP DIVISION, W.N.R.

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 183, 29 April 1920, Page 2

MOTHERS' HELP DIVISION, W.N.R.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting oi the Mothers Help Division of the Women s National Reserve was held yesterday afternoon. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke, M.P.) presided. " • The report of the year's work presentad by the lion, secretary (Mrs. Ahearno) stated that the division had qmcitly got upon its feet. Many donations were received, in response to an appeal for funds to start a scheme of domestic help for mothers. This scheme of visiting helpers had been a particularly satisfactory and gratifying branch of the reserve's work. A start was made with purely voluntary aid, fn which they had the services of such untiring helpers as Mrs. Saiidlant, Mis, Hewson, Mrs. Lennurd. and others, who helped for longer or shorter periods. One© the division was known, so many calls ,ior help were received that it became necessary to have n permanent staff of' visiting hclpors. Two were at first engaged at .£IBO per annum, plus necessary tram fares, and it has since been found necessary to engage a third. Their duties arc for eight hours a day, five and a half days a week, and consist of light housework, cooking, mending, ironing, washing children's clothes, and minding children. Heavy washing and house cleaning are not done % the visiting helpers: it is not part of the division's policv to in any way compete with the livelihood of charwomen. The aim is to assist:mothers, particularly thojo with young children, or who liavo cases of sickness in their homes, and to provide a cheerful, TioTpful worker and companion. The visiting helpers aro: Miss Bundle, Misa White, Miss Drayton. In addition to visiting helpers, it was felt that some-thing-was needed for the mothers of children coming into Wellington by train or tram from tho suburbs. It was therefore decided to establish a rest room for mothers in some convenient locality. With this end in view the Mayor and City Council were approached, «nd they agreed to. pay tlio Tent of any suitable promises secured. Two rooms in Oourtcnay Place suitnble for tho purpose, wero officially opened in September, 1919. A matron was placed in charge, and her duties consist of looking after children left by mothers Trto require to be absent for the purpose of visiting, shopping, etc. Tho room has been, and is, freely used for tho purpose intended, and is becoming widely known. (Great regret wan expressed at tho resignation of the president, Mrs. A. Gray. It is largely owing to her untiring energy that t\re financial position for tho present is assured. Mrs. Gray explained that her time, is now fully occupied with the scheme for the citizens' day nurseries, and she thought it would cause confusion if sho remainod a member ot the division. Tho combined halancc-shcet of tho Domestic Help Division and the Besj; Boom showed receipts- totalling .£791 3s. 9d., of which £39G Ids. 9d. was received m donations and subscriptions; ,£302 6s. sd. result of J. Fuller and Sons' mntince; m os. Gd. helpers* earnings; £7 os. Id. box at rest room. Of the various amounts paid out 4194.45. 4d. was spent upon wages; £33 Ms. lid. in furniture and fittings; .£l4 12s. lOd. in tram fares, which, with various smaller amounts, I left a balance in the bank of £415 Is. U-. The 'domestic help balance-sheet showed total receipts amounting to .£375 Os. 9d., of which ,£289 9s. 9d.>*as received in donations and subscriptions, and £85 os. Gd- in helpers' earnings. Payments (wages and other expenses) amounted to £IS4 6s. KM., 1 leaving a balance to this account of £199 2s. lid. Tho 6aparato balance-sheet of the rest room showed total receipts amounting to. £416 145.. of which £107 7s. Gd. was received in donations and subscriptions; -2302 lis. Bd. matinee takings; and £7 os. Id. in box receipts at the room. Payments in wages and other expenses totalled £191 15s. 6d., leaving a balance in tho bank of £224 ISs. Gd.

The report aud halance-sheet were adopted. The Mayor congratulated the meeting upon the success that had attended the year's work of the organisation, aiid particularly Mr?. A. Gray, who had put much enthusiasm into its activities. Unfortunately there was ;j. big propamine of work before ihe City Council, with important undertakings to be. financed, and such being the case the council would not bo able to give such substantial financial help as ho would have liked it to give. Ihe work had his deepest sympathy, and in whatever ways Were possible he wouid give his .help. Mrs. Darling was elected president for the ensuing year; Mrs. E. Hadfield reelected lion, treasurer, and M:s. Ahearne lion, secretary. The committee is as follows:—Mesdames Porter, E. W. If. Coleridge, A. D. Bayfoild, E. R. Dymock, M. K. Loisin, N. Hall, and Hosking. Votes of thanks were passed to Mr. D. R. Menkes, for auditing the balancosheet, and Mrs. J. D. Gray and all retiring olficers, also the oliair (Mr. Luke).