WOMEN'S NATIONAL COUNCIL

Evening Star, Issue 19410, 19 November 1926, Page 14

WOMEN'S NATIONAL COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the local branch of tho Women’s National Council was held on Wednesday evening, Mrs Leech (president) occupying tho chair. Arrangements in view of the coming conference, to be held at Christchurch early in March, were considered. Remits from local affiliated associations were accepted for transmission to the conference. One of these advocated that separate institutions should be established for children at present committed to industrial schools merely on account of destitution, as it was unjust that they should be classed with children who are committed on account of offences against the law. Another advocated that in polls on the liquor question there should be two issues only, Continuance and Prohibition, and that there should be nolextension of the present interval between licensing polls. Tn connection with women’s institutes _it_ was pointed out that the women’s division of the Farmers’ Union offered similar benefits, and leaflets setting forth the aims and advantages of the association were distributed.

A very interesting address on penal reform and the work of the Howard League was delivered by. Mrs Morton, representative of the Mothers’ Union. Mrs Morton reviewed the rise and progress of reform in dealing with criminals, outlining the work of John Howard, the great pioneer of penal reform, who labored in the eighteenth century. Recent improvements were noticed, particularly those made in this country, such as the probation system and the provision and methods of the Borstal Institution in Invercargill for the treatment of young offenders. Among foremost aims of the Howard League to-day are scientific study of delinquents and better classification of them, and further development of the probation system. Mrs Morton was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for her informative address-