WOMEN AND CIVIC AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 195, 15 May 1941, Page 4

WOMEN AND CIVIC AFFAIRS

Candidates’ Addresses

•So that the women of Wellington would have an idea of the part women candidates were playing in connexion with the forthcoming civic elections, a meeting of all women interested was called yesterday by Mrs. Knox Gilmer, who is standing for the city council and hospital board. Miss B. Cable and Miss A. Kane, hospital board nominees, also addressed the meeting. There was much work on the city council for a woman with knowledge and ability, said Mrs. Gilmer, ami she felt that her qualifications fitted her for the position. A woman, able to express the requirements of other women, would be heard with understanding by men members. More women’s restrooms were needed in a city the. size of Wellington, and more children's playgrounds wit!) supervisors provided, were a necessity. At the beaches, bathing facilities could be improved, and here again she advocated the appointment of women beach supervisors. Dealing with the housing question, Mrs. Giltner said it. was perturbing lo think of the number of women in Wellington living in rooms that left'much to be desired. Girls arriving lo take up positions were often desperate to find suitable accommodation. Many of the rooms had no facilities for baths or for washing ami ironing, and she would like to see that steps were taken to remedy this. Dealing with hospital requirements, Mrs. Gilmer advocated a new tuberculosis hospital, separate' from the general hospital, an orthopaedic hospital set in congenial surroundings, where crippled children would have every oirportunity of overcoming their disabilities; new maternity iiospitals; provision for relieving the overcrowding in. the children’s hospital; a holiday home where tired mothers and ailing children could be brought back to health: and a hospital where nervous cases, not able to be admitted to the public hospital, could be nursed back to health.

There was m> <me more qualified than she to take a place on the reserves committee of the city council, said the speaker, who quoted her long association with various horticultural bodies and societies.

Miss Kam- spoke ot tec lack of hospital accommodation. Tlie board served the patients and ir was its duty it see that accominodtition was available. She mentioned the work done by the board and the improvements i: had effected.

Miss Cable, a new nominee, said ih< shortage of beds in hospitals would Ire less acute if people were better eduear.ed in tlie problems of right eating. It was a fact that many children entered hospital as patients ns a result of malnutrition. Some people complained that the present public hospital was too old. but in her opinion it did not matter, so long as wards, equipmeul ami sanitation were kept tip to tie’ minute. She advocated tlie decentralization idea of various hospital departments being entirely separate institutions.