CLUBS FOR WOMEN

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 38, 14 August 1917, Page 9

CLUBS FOR WOMEN

EFFORT OF NATIONAL RESERVE

SCHEME APPROVED BY THE

GOVERNMENT.

A public meeting of women, held at the Town Hall yesterday afternoon, approved the scheme brought forward by the Women's National Reserve to es-tablish-clubs for the wives and mothers of soldiers. An effort is being made to -establish such, a club in Wellington immediately. The president of the reserve (Dr. Platts-MiDs) occupied the chair, and the speakers included the Hon. G. W. Russell (Minister for Internal Affairs), who assured the meeting that the Government approved the scheme. ' Dr. Plaits-Mills stated that the Women's National Reserve had never forgotten the object for which it was formedl, namely, the organisation of women to fill the places of men. However, until there was a demand for the services of women nothing further could be made. Sho was sura that the demand would come in time, and when it came they would find the women ready. Not being able to proceed with the intended work, the reserve was not content to sit quiet, and now came before the citizens of Wellington with an entirely new scheme, namely, the formation of a club for the wives and mothers of soldiers, dependents, and children. The scheme was in no way an elaborate one. The club would be quite non-political Eventually tie reserve hoped to establish a residential hostel, but that would come some time later.

The Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister for Internal Affairs, at the request of the president, moved the following motion: " That this meeting heartily approves and endorses the action of the Women's National Reserve in initiating a movement to form clubs for wive^ and widows of soldiers and sailors, and will support the scheme in every way." He said he had been very pleased with the action taken by the Reserve in Wellington in, holding a monthly social reunion. While, however, every appreciation should be shown to the mothers, nothing was too good for the wives of the men who had gone. All the married men. who had gone so far were volunteers. Therefore, if there was anything they could do to show appreciation, it was their bounden duty to do it. He could assure the Reserve that the Government would be pleased to assist in the scheme, which it regarded sympathetically. The establishment of such clubs as the one proposed was purely the work of women, and he was glad that the women were taking it up. The first proposal was that the Minister should pro-vide a room wherein the wives of soldiers could meet together. Thai had been arranged. (Applause.) It had been arranged for three months, and if it \va3 seen that the scheme was working well, lie thought that the Government would be prepared to pay the rent for a period, of five years. Whatever happened, they could rest assured that if they wanted to do anything for the wives and mothers of soldiers the Government wjuld not see them stucki However, , money was not the only thing necessary. They must have a very thorough organisation, because, in many cases, the woman who needed help and sympathy most would be the last to ask for them. The Minister outlined a suggested scheme of organisation by which the city would be cut up into districts. Mr. Russell reminded women of the fact that St. Helens Hospital was open free to all the wives of soldiers. In the case of a wife who was/living a distance from the maternity hospitals, he would see that, on receipt of a certificate from the National Reserve, the full railway fare to the city was paid. (Applause.) In cases of ordinary sickness the public hospitals were always open to wives, mothers, and children of soldiers, and no woman would be called upon to pay for the treatment she had received if it was shown that she was not well able to do so. It was impossible to say when the war would end, and it might be that the Second Division would be called on soon, but in any case it was plain that they must fight on. (Hear, hear.) Dr. Platts-Mills stated that the Reserve was very thankful for what Mr. Russell had done, but she wanted it to bo understood that no club-rooms had yet been secured, nor had any rent been offered. The Government was merely paying the rent of one small office, whereby soldiers' wives and mothers could be interviewed in private. Mrs. Hanan outlined the work of the National Reserve, a.nd said that few people realised what had been clone. All calls had been answered in the past, and now came the latest call from soldiers' wives and mothers. Many of the former, particularly, came to Wellington to be near their husbands, but they had complained that they were lonely and cheerless, and it was the duty of the reserve to provide for them in some way by the establishment of a mutual help club. At first they wanted two rooms, one for the mothers an* another for the children. The latter would be properly looked after, and the women would be able to converse and work together under the happiest and best of conditions. In seconding the-motion, the Mayoress (Mrs. J. V. Luke) heartily endorsed the scheme, saying: "Now, I hope this club will be established twenty-four hours after this motion is passed." The motion was carried amidst applause, and the meeting concluded with the singing of the National Anthem.

There recently arrived in Apia, Samoa, two distinguished young representatives o{ the University of Upsala—the oldest institution of its kind in. Sweden— Dr. Sixteen Bock and Dr. Christian Heesle, whose object is to make a comprehensive investigation of marine animal life in the Pacific. They propose to visit the Ellice, Gilbert, and Phoenix Islands, and it- is probable, says the Samoa Times, that, they will then direct their course, already long and serpentine in shape since they left their homeland, for the C4reat Barrier Reef. Both young men—Dr. Bock is only 32 years of age and Dr. Heesle 27— have undertaken thin long journey, not without pecuniary sacrifice, in the hope that the results of their work will serve further to illumine the scientific world. Their mission carried with it the imprimatur of the museum authorities of Sweden, who have lent them practical as well as .sympathetic aid. Dr. Bock's fliet «ei«ut<Bu es.t>*diUon wa« it> the Arctic Sea in 1308. ~