WOMEN’S DIVISION

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 58, Issue 4144, 8 June 1949, Page 3

WOMEN’S DIVISION

CONFERENCE HELD

PROVINCIAL DELEGATES

An inter-provincial conference of the Women’s Division of Federated Farmers was held in Hamilton. Delegates were present from Thames Valley, South and North Auckland, North King Country, Auckland, Waipa, Tauranga, Waikato East. Piako and Bay of Plenty. Mrs J. Hallis, Thames Valley provincial president, presided. Also present were Mrs Hilda Ross, M.P., Mr W. N. Perry, Dominion president of Federated Farmers, Mrs Haldane, Dominion president Women’s Division Federated Farmers, Mrs C. K. Wilson, past Dominion president, and Miss I. Jamieson, Dominion president National Council of Women.

Mr'Perry addressed the conference and stressed the fact that the arduous duties of a farmer’s wife, were seldom recognised. He believed that it was the duty of Dominion presidents of such organisations to travel as much as possible among the branch members.

Mrs Haldane, who without notes of any kind, spoke for an hour, said that the division now had 23,000 members. Being a division member was like having a disease and she hoped that many more farmers wives would catch the disease.

The division worked in close co-oper-ation with Federated Farmers, the biggest task being to help to alleviate the chaos and disorder which existed in the world today, said the speaker. The kernel of the division’s work was to assist with the housekeeping scheme and the rest homes, of which they now had four. During the year division housekeepers had spent over 2000 weeks assisting country housewives. It was hoped, she said, that the emigration scheme would provide a number of housekeepers and help solve the problem of the present shortage.

Mrs Haldane urged members to become internationally minded and invite speakers from overseas countries where possible to address meetings. She asked members to keep in mind what she hoped would be the next project of the division, namely eventide homes for the aged people. Women should instill into children’s thoughts and by example inspire them with the high ideals of truth, freedom, justice and honour. This was the duty of every mother. “ Great things are done in God’s own time by little people and we are some of the little people,” concluded Mrs Haldane. Mrs Eastwood, Piako’s housekeeping secretary, then gave an -outline of Piako’s scheme for dealing with the shortage of housekeepers. She also dealt with a remit on this subject. Many questions were asked by delegates and answered by Mrs Haldane and Mrs Eastwood. Mrs Ross also addressed the conference and said that it was a woman’s duty to keep the spiritual side of life inviolate by precept and example. No woman, she was sure, w’ould be welcome as a member of the Women’s Division unless she was loyal to the King, the Empire and God.