COUNTRY WOMEN

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 12, 14 July 1939, Page 5

COUNTRY WOMEN

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

Remits favouring the encouragement, of immigration by refugee Europeans were considered by the Women's Division of the Farmers' Union in conference yesterday. The remits came from both North and South Island provincial councils, showing that the wish was widespread.

A new activity of the Women's Division undertaken with the Women's Institutes under the Council of Adult Education was launched in June in Taihape, and if successful it will be extended to other districts. Details of the scheme were reported to the conference by Mrs. T. R. Barrer, M.A., who has been closely connected with the launching of the scheme. Mrs. Barrer said that the amount allotted by the Government for the scheme was disappointingly small, but it was hoped that when in full operation the various classes would be almost, self-support-ing, and in this way the money would spin out. Drama and dressmaking were the most popular choice at Taihape and accordingly tutors have commenced work in these subjects. A decision that matters of sex hygiene should in future be open for discussion only, and that ir vote should be taken on them, wafe reached. This is a new attitude, which provoked much discussion. A number of remits on. the subject were considered in committee, but voting on them was deferred until a motion that two decisions of the previous conference should be rescinded had been considered. The decisions which it was desired to rescind were in favour of the establishment of birth-control clinics and sterilisation in certain cases. A ballot was taken on the rescinding motion, and it was made known last night that it had been carried. It will not now be necessary to vote on the other remits. It was decided to eliminate the positions, of bush nurse and housekeeper auxiliary members from the Dominion executive. Mrs. C. C. Jackson, Dominion treasurer, stated that the division affairs had altered during the past few years, as the provincial executives attended to ail such work in their own districts: therefore, there was now no need for such officers. Tributes were paid to the excellent work done by past and present members who had sal on the executive. The proposal that nominations for executive office be made three months before conference and the names sent to all provincial executives was lost. A vote of thanks was passed to the Government for its grant of £200 towards the travelling expenses of the division housekeepers, Mesdames F. J. Ryburn, Te Awamutu, W. F. Field, J.P., Palmerston North and G. Lamplough, Stratford, for North Island, and Mesdames J. P. Holdanc, Nelson, J. S. Hildyard, Nelson, and B. E. Evans, South Canterbury, for Ihe South Island, were chosen for the Advisory Board. Mrs. C. C Jackson, Wairapa, was re-elected unopposed Dominion hon. secretary of the Women's Division Farmers' Union. Mrs. J. Livingstone, of Dannevirke, was elected a life member, for her Ivalueable services.