A WOMEN'S PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 14308, 5 March 1910, Page 5

A WOMEN'S PARLIAMENT

[By A.H.T.] Through the centuries Alau has worshipped "the ideal Woman the mother, will; 'her child. He has celebrated her in art, while in poetry, in painting, and in mnsir he has nioclaimcd her illustrious. Mcarwbilo Woman the actual has struggled a’ong as best she could, carrying on the race, bearing burdens which would have broken the spirit of a strong man. Not the least of her struggles has been to adapt herself to each new requirement of that lordly creature Man. A couple of generations' back, when men most admired and Bought for the purely domestic in woman, glad mothers of a dozen or more were not hard to find. But fashions vary, even in women. To-day k the era. of the intellectual woman. ' Neitlier domesticity nor beauty entirely suffices. Had you, with the same perfect brow And perfect eyes, and more than perfect mouth: Had you, with these the same, hut brought a mind! home women do so. Browning voices the requirement of the limes. Tire woman of brains has become the mode, and the more maternal tvpe has suffered a temporary eclipse. Celibate priests, ardent male patriots, ami perplexed legislators preach, rage, and debate around the vexed question of “the empty cradle.” And that is all they can do. The thinking woman, being evolved, promptly sits her brains to work upon the disabilities of her sex, and uses her wits in the removal of them. . . The formation of such an association as the Society for the- Promotion of the Health of Women and Children marked a point in the evolution of Woman. It indicated that women had at length developed a sex-spirit. How often the women have grumbled ** Men always bang together,” and, while recognising the advantages to he gained by such “ hanging together,” havo proved themselves either unwilling or unable to form similar sex alliances. The society above named is a. woman s movement. It is an earnest, affectionate, sane—yea, scientific effort to “help the mothers and save, the babies. Its ill comparin', hut from a. humanitarian point of view no movement could be more deserving of sympathy—practically expressed in support—than is (he (society for the Promotion of the Health of Women and Children. It, moie than any other to our knowledge, actually fulfils tl.ie.__ injunction of the great Teacher: "Feed My lambs.” There can bo hut few who are not raked to spiritual elevation by the sight of t Ims mother, with bent head, nestling her babe. It is a sight that, is rare in our much civilised cities. Nursing mothers hid# away, and shut thciißolvcs, their anxieties, _ their weaknesses, ami their ignorances within the four walls of thair dwellings. It. is the self-imjKßed duty of this society to discover these struggling niotliers; to help ami to advise them; to fell them when thev are over-feeding, under-feeding, or iilfcoding their babies; and to instil into their minds. when inquired, file oidill.ny simple rules of healthy living. It was a privilege and a pleasant experience to attend a nmc-iing oi this society in conference. On Thursday morning, carlr in tho forenoon, the delegates were ,-eated in their places around the table in the City Council Chamber, whose Mrs Truby Kine (the dissident) ably and genially guided ihe businerts beiore the meeting. Filtering. 1 found thorn discussing most earnestly the. U-.-t, measures to Uke to ensure proper care for babies going hack to I heir homes after treatment at that wonderful hospital for bailie*—the Ivaritane Homo. And they seemed to find the babies every hit as engrossing as the ordinary society woman finds golf! Quietly and wisciv the matter was discussed ; various suggestions considered, adopted, amended, or"rejected. Very little red (ape was wasted upon methods of procedure, but. till was in order and to I lie point. At length, the winnowing process over, the grain was collected (there wm; surprisingly liule chaff) and embodied in a well-framed resolution, clearly read by the president, formally put to the mooting, and (sroperly passed in the usual way. I called to mind ancient gibes of men about women speakers—how they “usually all spoke, at once”—and wished that the mm who still hold on to such antiquated jokes could have seen the way in which present-day women conduct (heir Parliament. Tliey could hardly fail to be struck with the absence ef useless talk, and the promptness with which—the resolution being, carried and recorded—the fixed attention of the meeting was instantly concentrated upon tho question next under consideration. But mor« striking even than the absence of discursiveness and prolixity wa» the absence of the obstructionist.. livery member seemed anxious to forward the work of the Conference, and to lidp in arriving ai. a jwt and wise decision. All worked i* unity towards the main end. My thoughts naturally turned to the care-fully-edited reports of the councils of men, published for the consideration of thoughtful women (and other ratepayers) in our daily paper*. From them wc gather that every board (of men) has it* obstructionist —the man who is pining for a fight. On grave questions, such as the necessary drainage, or the subsiding gasometer, wc read of differences of opinion among our sagacious City Fathers; differences poignantly expressed, resulting in strife and clash'of tongues. It is surmised, indeed, that even harbor boards are not absolutely immune from the plague of the obstructionist. Tine by the way—a rclieelion awakened by the sight of thk group of altruistic women working together so pleasantly, courteously, and with such a businesslike brevity, in the service of fellowwomen. And although there was no waste of words, there was not wanting now and

'again an apt witticism or light touch of humor, which swept away difficulties and relieved Iho tension. Belligerent resolations, framed by over-eager and drastic reformers, wero submitted to smiling criticism—were recast, and emerged again in such tactful guise, so chastened and improved that their originators would hardly have recognised them; and yet, in their new form, such resolutions were infinitely more likely to t>« vc their original purpose. Next followed discussion of cunning devices for conveying to even the least intelligent mother practical advice on the care of the baby. From experience it had been proved that the large printed sheet of instructions which could bo fixed up on the wail, and seen at a glance, was probably the most effectual method. Many thousands of such sheets have been distributed during each year of the society’s existence. Then, " The mothers believe so much in what they read in the papers (‘Our Babies’), and go by it,” remarked one of the delegates—a nurse—and continued to speak with high approval of the eagerness of the mothers to know what is the right thing to do, and their persevering efforts to do the right thing when they know what should be done. A part of the work of this society is the publication of a series of weekly articles on ‘The (lull of the Baby.’ These appear simultaneously in about a score of newspapers, and result in an enormous amount, of correspondence. Hundreds of letters are received iiom mothers in the backblocks. out. of tho reach of doctors and nurses, asking for advice; and all are carefullv answered. And since one mother is always ready to advise another, the knowledge, spreads; and there is no knowing bow far-reaching is the good which results from this single facet of this many-sided association. It is evident that the society are wide awake as to the new rights of women to stand for election to clraritable aid boards, school committees, and hospital boards; a proposal to confer with the W.C.T.U. and other similar societies in regard to nomination of candidates meeting with approval and support. The welfare of children boarded out by the State was next, considered, and it was resolved " that persons having the care of boarded-out infants and young children in their homes be instructed as to the proper feeding of the same.” Kot a bad record for a .single meeting! The end came suddenly. A man appeared. Sounds of more men came from withoutThe Parliament hastily adjourned. The Town Hall staircase simply swarmed with cricketers, who wanted the Council Boom to hold their function in. With curious, amused, and kindly eyes they watched the, women who cared so much for the liabies—other people’s babies. " It's wonderful how all stand aside to make way for the Baby,” I thought, glancing at the patient men." “Significant, isn’t it?" remarked a. bright-wilted member in passing; “only it’s the wrong way about. It should be the men going out and the women row in;/ in.” But she hadn’t quite bit the truth. For perfect humanbood cannot be reached until men and women travel together, comrades and co-vorkers, towards the desired goal. Crossing the Octagon, I encountered a friend, a gentle lady and generous sub scriber to the funds of the society. Filled with the cpirit of the meeting, 1 began to discourse enthusiastically upon the work of the Association. Beally, is it as good as that? I really don’t nknow much about it. Wo subscribe, of course. But do you think it is needed in a town like this, so well provided with doctors and nurses? The question, sympathetically and sincerely asked, made it clear that people in general do not know half enough about the splendid and necessary work which is being accomplished amongst us so unobtrusively, and yet so persevennglv. It only needs to be better known to be better supported. First, take the Karitane Home, the work of which was originally begun in a private way by Dr and Mrs truby King. It is a hospital for sick babies. The average number of its patients is twelve; but the maximum emergency number is eighteen. A.s soon as a baby-patient begins to recover tone, and to gain weight ami strength steadily, it has to turn out to make room for a more ncceesitous. case, eo that the largest ]>ossiblc number of babies mav be helper]. During the short period of Us existence up to May. 1909, about five hundred babies have been treated. Hero the Phrakdt nurses receive their specialised training in the feeding of infants on n system, devised, I believe, by Dr Truby King, known as “ percentage feeding.” If it is jumble for a baby" lo get its mother's milk, every effort is made to induce the mother to ‘food it; but where that is impossiblc, “humanised milk” is given as the best possible substitute for natural food. This is supplied in varying strengths, with percentages of sugar, fat. and proteins exttctly adapted to the individual requirement of the tiny patient. Anyone interested should take a trip out to Anderson Bay to see the Home. Visitors are always welcomed. There the babies live, amidst plenty of sunshine and fresh air, and receive the most skilful nursing and suitable feeding. Sneh enter- , taimueut a.s can be- appreciated by their babytihips is provided by the visits of certain kind-hearted maidens, who go out to the Home more or less regularly to enliven and amuse the patients. One would think that any baby would be amused at the careful arid cautious manner in whii hj these amateur nurses handle, it. The preparation of humanised milk is successfully carried on under the diredion of the society’s nurses by the Taicri and Peninsula ' Dairy Company. Over ten thousand bottle’s of this food are prepared per month, and delivered where required, in a pure, cool, safe condition, and tlull at very little more than the cost of ordinary milk, a.s well as many bottles of varying strength prepared for special cases. ’ Amongst- the objects already achieved by this society is the removal of the duty from sugar of milk, which is a. necessary constituent, in the food of all artificiaflv-fed infants. It can now be bought at, about one-third of its former price. The real work of (he ” PJnukct nurse ” is lo help and advise mothers in their homes in matters relating to their own health ami their children’s. The services of the Flunked; nurses are free to all, and mothers are quick to avail themselves of the privilege. One tells another of the benefits derived, and so their fame has spread : they are such experts in treating aick babies'that many mothers who ran afford to pay make use of their services. The only way open to such mothers to show their gratitude is to contribute—for tin- .sake of others —U> the funds of the society. They can give donations, or become ‘ members and pay an annual subscription of 5s or more. For “ The Society for the Promotion of the Health of Women and Children,” like, every other society, are always in need of funds. These nurses not only give advice, but they show the mothers how to prepare for themselves the humanised milk. They are always busy, and more and more are needed. Some idea, 'if the calls upon their help may be gained from the fart that 'hiring; last year they paid about 3,500 visits in and around, Dunedin. A room has been secured in the Government Buildings, near the Health Office, and furnished by the society. There, on three afternoons a week, mothers can go and consult the Plunket nurses, get thir babies weighed, and obtain advice as to _ what grade of the “ percentage food ” is required. In addition to these various channels of usefulness, many public lectures on the subject of ‘Health’ have been given in Dunedin and throughout the Dominion. Branches of the society have been formed in Auckland. Wellington, Christchurch, Napier, New Plymouth. Palmerston North, Timaru, and other centres. In & single sentence, the society have, come to stay. While we give honor and warm admiration to the noble women who carry on this work, it must never be overlooked that the mainspring, the first cause, and prime thinker of the whole organisation is Dr Truby King, whose chivalrous crusade, on behalf of suffering w omen and child ten has become a matter of history in New Zealand.