WOMEN'S NATIONAL COUNCIL

Evening Star, Issue 19387, 22 October 1926, Page 2

WOMEN'S NATIONAL COUNCIL

DUNEDIN BRANCH The monthly meeting of the Dunedin branch of the Women’s National Council was held on Wednesday, the president (Airs Leech) presiding. Various correspondence was dealt with, including letters from the Alinister of Finance and others officially interested, in acknowledgment of the council’s recommendation of several ladies ns suitable for appointment as justices of the peace. A letter from the Y.TV.C.A. urged the desirability of a check on the publication of details of family tragedies, particularly the murder of children by a distraught mother. It was pointed out that the reading of detailed Press reports of such tragedies by bighlystrung and mentally-nnstablo women tended to produce repetitions of them. Various remits from other branches of the council, for presentation at next year's conference, were discussed. Miss Powell delivered an interesting address on the origin and history of the Ty.C.T.U. _ She < described its founding in the United States, and referred to the Women's Liquor Crusade and to the great part played by Frances E. Willard as leader and organiser. From America the movement quickly spread into oilier _Eng!ishspeaking countries, nnd the New Zealand Union was formed in 1884. From the earliest days the women temperance leaders aimed at winning the suffrage for women as a, means to temperance legislation and social reform. Miss Powell briefly referred to the wide, and varied humanitarian work undertaken by the New Zealand W.C.T.U., instancing the Alnori Alission, the orphanage in Palmerston North, the Victoria Home for Girls in Invercargill; she also mentioned its _ peace propaganda and other activities in the interests of women and children and of the weak and unfortunate. Miss Powell was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for her informative and stimulating address.