WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

Evening Star, Issue 12964, 29 May 1908, Page 4

WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

HEALTH SOCIETY'S ANNUAL MEETING. The first annual meeting of the Society for the Promotion of the Health of Women and Children was held in the Town Hall this afternoon, under the presidency of the Mayor (Mr J. MTDonald). Amongst those present in addition to the Executive were the Revs. Father Coffey, Dr Nisbet, Dean Fitchett, Archdeacon Gould, and the Rev. A. H. Vernon King, Drs Truby King, Falconer, Pickerill (director of the Dental School), and Williams, the Hons. J. B. Callan and J. T. Paul, Mr J. F." Arnold, M.P., and Messrs J. Loudon, P. E. Theomin, and R. Gilkison. The Mayor said: Ifc affords mc verv great pleasure to preside at this meeting, and move the adoption of your report and balance-sheet. Accept my congratulations on the steady progress of your Association. I am fully persuaded that the ladies of this society are deserving of the thanks and support of the whole community for the noble work which they aro so successfully carrying on. In reading the report, I was very much impressed with the instances put forward re the care of infants. 11 appears to me that if the society had done no other good than the help they administered to those two children, it has" amply proved the necessity for its existence. I cannot allow this opportunity to pass without paying a tribute to Dr'Truby King, who, I take it, was the founder of "this great and good work, and I hope he will long be spared to see the fruits of his labors. Mr J. Loudon, in seconding the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, said it must be intensely gratifying to Dr King, Mrs King, and all those ladies who had worked so hard in the interests of the society, to find their efforts crowned with the success disclosed in their first annual report. Ho would not enlarge on the benefits to the community resulting from the work of the society from a medical and humanitarian point of view, as several speakers to follow him could speak with a fuller and better knowledge. The society were much indebted to their Excellencies Lord and Lady Plunket for the deep and practical interest they had shown in the work, and to Sir Joseph Ward and the Hon. Mr Millar, the Hon. Mr Fowlds, and Dr Findlav for their sympathetic assistance. He knew from personal contact that the four gentlemen mentioned were ardent well-wishers and supporters, and that thev could be relied upon to do everything within reason to help the society. Certain prejudices had to be overcome, but that occurred in every reform or improvement. Most of them were satisfied to move along in a humdrum, self-satisfied way, and it was. left to enthusiasts like Dr King to fight their battles. He hop=d that the doctor would live to see the work he had initiated recognised as of incalculable benefit to the -community. It was at the present time attracting attention in various parts of the world as a result of the movement in Dunedin. He would also like to pay his tribute of respect to Nurse M'Kinnon. Ho had come in contact with her very frequently, and always found her tactful and conscientious in the highest degree. Ho had much pleasure in seconding the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, which was eminently satisfactory in all respects. Dr Truby King, who was loudly applauded, thanked the Committee for the kind comments in the report on the work done by him and Mrs King. After all, however, the work had been done by the Committee, and whatever success had been achieved was due the ladies'committee. He also briefly addressed those present on the society's work, specially congratulating them on having tecured an address from so authoritative a man a 6 Dr Pickerill. He said, amongst other things, that the society were not fostering vice, but helping those who had suffered from vice, and they left unturned no stone to compel fathers to provide for their unfortunate offspring. The Teport and balance-sheet, were adopted.