Women’s War Service Auxiliary

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 282, 23 August 1940, Page 11

Women’s War Service Auxiliary

Sir, —It is a matter for regret that the letter written by the mayoress. Mrs. T. C. A. Hislop, to the chairman of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary, was not read to the delegates who attended the meeting held on Monday of this week to elect a district committee. Clearly Mrs. Hislop was anxious to ensure that the new organization would be truly representative of the women of the district, and not overloaded with delegates from any particular class or section of the community. Surely that is essential if the organization is to function successfully. However, Mrs. Hislop's letter was not considered, and a district committee was set up which is not representative of the women of Wellington The Y.W.C.A. is represented on the committee, and rightly so, but why the Lyceum Club or the Business and Professional Women’s Club which, I understand, are auxiliary to the Y.W.C.A. In the circular calling the meeting it was stated that delegates must represent parent organizations, and not branches or auxiliary groups, yet here is one organization with three representatives ou the committee. Some of the other bodies represented on the committee are almost identical in character, such as the Blanket Society, the League of Mothers and thSociety for the Protection of Women and Children, and could be well represented. with one member on the committee, instead of three. The other three positions on the committee are held by delegates from the Federation of University Women, the New Zealand Women Writers and Artists’ Association, and the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union. I would not disparage the work being done 'by any of the organizations concerned, but I doubt if they could claim to represent twenty-five per cent, of the women in the district.

There is not one committee member representative of working women’s organizations, such as the Clothing Trades’ Union or the Shop Assistants’ Union, or any other of the big unions of female workers, yet I would go so far as to say that either of the unions named has more female members thatall of those bodies who are represented on the committee. Surely, if the Women’s War Service Auxiliary intends to discuss such things as wages, hours and conditions of female workers in industry, as seems clear from the Press reports of Monday’s meeting, the female workers’ organizations should be given representation on the committee. —I am, etc., E. B. NEWTON secretary, Wellington Clothing TradesIndustrial Union of Workers. Wellington, August 2-A