WORK OF LEAGUE

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1930, Page 3

WORK OF LEAGUE

.DISCUSSED BY WOMEN’S CONFERENCE. United Press Association —By Electric telegraph.—Copyright, j HONOLULU, August 11. Great enthusiasm was evoked by an address by Dame Rachael Crowcly on the social and welfare work of the League of Nations, which she delivered at a public meeting of tlie AYoiuen’s Pan-Pacific Conference. She dealt briefly with the opium question, describing the international character el the traffic, with the con cquent difficulty of its control. She also referred to the reports of the Committee who are investigating the traffic m woman and children, which report was published by the League of Nations. There was no central dominating figure in the traffic, she said, hut there was- close co-operation between the individuals concerned, both men and women. She said that Miss Abbott of the United States Child Welfare Bureau, was responible for-the suggestion that an investigation should be carried out, and also was responsible lor influence in obtaining American finaii ’rial "support. The investigation is to be continued in Asiatic countries on the suggestion of a Japanese League delegate. The money for this was again forthcoming from America. Sho stated that child welfare was a comparatively new League undertaking. The work of the permanent commission consisted chiefly of studies of such subjects as children’ courts and the connection between illegitimacy and delinquency. Three international child welfare conventions were now being prepared.

The subject of the opium traffic was continued by Dame Crowdy at a' public luncheon arranged by the PanPacific Union to-day. The international .machinery. for control was described. The publicity given to the seizures of the drug, with the names of the firms and individuals concerned, was one of the chief means of checking the opium traffic, and it had valuable resul ts. Annual reports were being supplied by the countries notifying the Opium Convention, giving the quantities iin',ported and exported, and those, manufactured and required for medicinal purposes. The value of cocaine, stated Dame Crowdy, made the smuggling of minute quantities of this drug profitable. Hence there was a vast ingenuity of methods and a difficulty of detection,

An interesting reception was .held by the Pan-Pacific Institute at Manoa Valley, at which thanks were expressed in the Samoan language bv Miss Jean. Begg, of New. Zealand, any by American and Chinese delegates. The Conference, work began to-day with a survey by Miss Jean Begg oi the social service problems. A keen discussion followed. Interest • was shown in, the Australian experiment.of an ■■unemployment tax. ■