IN NATIONAL LIFE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 5 July 1928, Page 4

IN NATIONAL LIFE.

WOMEN’S PLACE

ADDRESS TO LOCAL SOCIETIES.

The responsibility thrown on the women of the nation to take their part in altering what they saw Was wrong anil so to m'ake a contribution in their own way to the welfare of the people was deri.lt with very convincingly last evening at the Islington Teri Rooms by Miss McCorkindale, to a gathering of members of the Women’s National Reserve, W.O.T.U. and the women’s branch of the Farmers ’ Union, Rangers and Girl Guides. Mns J. G. Young .presided.

Women’s idealism needed to eo-ordin. ate with men’s practical’work in order to accomplish the very best, said the speaker, in beginning her address. But, she said, women in the iSouthem Hemisphere did not accept the problem so sori'ouslv as did the Women of the old world, and the movement for increasing the share of public work was not so far advanced. She related her first experience of the English .House of Commons, where she found already six women members and at the time of the Labour Government, one associate Min. ister, Miss Bondfield. In Canada too there were women's organisations and also in America, Where, she added, she was specially interested in the women who took up public work. There the women at their conventions did not wait on candidate for Senate and on politicians, but sent for them to find their views on national questions. (She referred to the big conventions shie had attended in Detroit and other centres and the great work done there bv women through these meetings. Woman’s power of intuition, through which she appeared to leap to conclusions—but generlally she added right •ones —would help in public life. Women could bring ’public life on to a higher plane and this should -be their contribution to the life of the nation.

The good work done .by women did atot, said Miss McCorkindale, belong solely to European nations, for she had been amazed at what was being done in China and Japan, where women were in charge of large businesses and ran them well.

Women must try to improve national life and to bring* idealism to the common round of work. If .women were to be worthy of their day and generation they must think for themselves and act on that judgment or they would not bo making a contribution to the national 'life.

In dealing with young people, she said they must ibe given facts on which they could build t.heir own ’'opinions, and* they must see that any judgment at which thev arrive was the result of knowledge'of the present, mot the prejudices lof the past. Women must make their influence felt in big questions and one in particular was in the question of war, to prevent whlie'h they should use their utmost endeavour'. If they were as sincere in their after wa.r work as they had (been during -the war they could accomplish a great deal and make their influence felt in the largest issues.

She urged women to use their vote rightly, a. s the result of knowledge, and this applied specially to 'the drink question. They should know the dire results to the individual and to the nation and the fact that diseases such as tuberculosis were more serious in countries where the drink traffic was strong. iShe .quoted showing that, in France, when absinthe,, was prohibited, the death rate fell considerably and referred to the statement of scientists who Said that before putting Up a fight against disease they must tackle liquor. In America too, the death rate from tuberculosis Was, in 1916 .132.1 per 100,000, and in '1925, since prohibition was in force only 86.6. The serious effects of excess in drink was that the results continued unto the third and fourth generation and the inn'oeenf children were burdened with the sins of the forefathers. It Was, she said in conclusion, up to the womanhood of the nation to face these problems and to .bring in healthier and finer conventions than some of those now existing. They must be worthy of the wonderful twentieth century. Great things were being done and great, b'a't-tleis were to be won by some conventions, and customs and high ideals. “Ours is the responsibility; may we be worthy of it always,” she concluded.

Before the address began a .pretty bouquet whs presented to Miss McCorkindale bv Mr's Hill from the W.C.T.U. and a programme was given which included piano duet by .Misses Curtis and .Tones; recitations, Misses M. .Curtis and E. Brough; song, Miss Johnston. The singing of the National Anthem concluded the programme and a light, supper whs then provided. . A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the lecturer an the motion of Mrs L. A. Bone and briefly acknowledged bv her.