PACIFIC PROBLEMS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 92, 20 April 1931, Page 11

PACIFIC PROBLEMS

WOMEN INTERESTED A meeting of woman was held in. the Y.W.C.A. on Saturday, convened by Miss Jean Begg, to discuss the carrying on of the work begun ;it' the two .PanPacific Conferences oi! Women held at Honolulu in 1928 and 1930. There were present a number of those who attended each conference, including Mrs. Fraer, J.P., of Christchurch, leader of the first

delegation, as well as representatives of women's organisations, among them Hie W.0.T.U., Y.W.C.A., Girls' Friendly So- ■ cicty, Mothers' Union, Free Kiudcrfjiir--1 teii/tfederntion of Women's Clubs, Fed- ' oration of University Women, and soy- ' oral members-of the National Council of Woman (including Miss B. Carnahan and Miss E. Melville). ORIGIN" OF MOVEMENT. Miss Begg explained that the first conference of 192S had been in the ' nature of an experiment. Consequent 1 upon that, a continuation committee had been set up in Now Zealand, but .it had only held one meeting. At the . 1930 conference in Honolulu a PanPacific Women's Association had been i formed, and New Zealand was invited to join as a nation, and it was in order to set up the necessary organisation that this meeting had been called. Miss .Sim, of Christehurch, and Miss 13. Andrews,, of New Plymouth, had been largely instrumental in drawing up a tentative constitution, which would be placed before those present for discussion. Miss Andrews was elected secretary for the meeting. Miss Begg expressed pleasure at seeing so large and representative a gathering, and hoped that a successful organisation would result. She then read the constitution of the Pan-Pacific Women's Association. It was resolved that a New Zealand National Committee of the Pan-Paeilic Women 's Association be formed. Proposals concerning the constitution and finance were discussed, and^ it was decided that membership consist of:—(a) Women's associations with international affiliations;' (b) women's associations national in scope; (c) any other societies or groups of interested women; (d) individual men and women interested in the aims of the Pan-Pacific Women 's Association. Details of membership of the National Committee were carefully considered and the following accepted: —That organisations with international affiliations have one representative for, every 5000 (or fraction) of membership; organisations with national affiliations, one representative for every 3000 of its members; and societies with a membership of 100 or more, one representative on the National Committee. The fee for societies national in scope was fixed at one guinea, for others at 5s (except for groups under 20, which was fixed at 2s 6d per annum). It was agreed that the executive should consist of the president, vice-pre-sident, secretary, treasurer, and two other members, together with the conv.cners of the committees on finance, publicity, and research. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—President, Mrs. T. E. Taylor, J.P.; vice-president, Miss M. E. Sims, M.A. (Christehurch); secretary, Miss E. Andrews (New Plymouth); treasurer, Miss E. Melville (Auckland); members, Mrs. C. C. Jackson' (Wairarapa) and Airs. Barraclough (Dunedin). Conveners of sub-committees were appointed as under: —Finance, Miss E. Andrews; publicity, Miss A. Kane; research, Miss M. E. Sims. The Eesearch Committee was divided into the sections under which the Pan-Pacific Women's Conferences have worked, and he following were elected coroners (subject to their consent): —Health, Miss Lambie; education, Miss Chaplin; adult education, Miss Low; government, Miss Melville; industry, Miss Baston; social service, Miss Salmond; home economics, Professor Strong. - Miss Sim was appointed New Zealand representative on the Pan-Pacific Programme Committee. It was also decided to set up a committee for the study of Maori research, and to ask Mrs. 11. D. Bennett to act as convener. Miss Begg thanked all those who had attended for their help in getting the work through. Mrs. T. E. Taylor proposed a vote of thanks to Miss Begg and to thoso who had assisted her in preparing for the meeting. The motion was carried. Hearty good wishes were expressed to Miss Begg for her work in India.