CANTERBURY WOMEN’S INSTITUTE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16500, 16 March 1914, Page 5

CANTERBURY WOMEN’S INSTITUTE.

S A TUR DAY’ S MEETING.

The Canterbury Women’s Institute mot on Saturday afternoon in the Nar tional Peace Council rooms.

General God lev, in answer to the Institute's protest against tile repeated prosecutions of certain lads under the Defence Act, wrote stating that ho would inquire into the charges made by the Institute.

Miss Newcomb, secretary of the Woman Suffrage Union of British Dominions Overseas, wrote stating that a. deputation of women had been appointed to approach the manager of the Associated Press Cablegrams with regard to the unsatisfactory character of the news concerning the suffrage movement. He had declined to meet tho deputation. hut. had slated that the question in Britain, apart from the sensational incidents, had no interest in Australia and New Zealand. To assist the Society in their agitation to obtain an impartial account of the work done by the different parties in the* suffrage army. Mesdames Mitchell and Lissaman were appointed to collect cablegrams bearing on the subject, and to forward them to the secretary of the Dominions Overseas Union.

Mrs Cunnington, who was unable to he present owing to illness, wrote urging the Institute again to press upon the Government and members of Parliament the necessity of public inspection of all religious and philanthropic institutions. She stated that there was a growing tendency with' magistrates to offer first offenders the choice of prisons for short sentences or of a religious home for a longer period. The fear of the unknown prison naturally caused the girl to prefer a religious home, so that it could not in truth 't)9 said that she was a voluntary inmate of such home. It was, therefore, incumbent in the cause of justice, and due to the inmates of all such homes, that, there should bo full Government inspection of them.

The following resolution, proposed by Mrs Cunnington, was passed, and was ordered to be forwarded to the Ministry and members of Parliament: — “That in the interest of justice and on behalf of the inmates of philanthropic and religious homes, all such institutions should be under strict inspection of men and women appointed by the Government (other than the Inspectors of Labour).”

A lady member of a Christchurch school committee wrote urging the Institute again to bring forward the matter of the overcrowded condition of the city and suburban schools. Several speakers referred, from their own acquaintance with the matter, to the irreparable physical harm that was being done by the insanitary conditions in which children and teachers spent so much of their time, and indignation was expressed at the apathy of those responsible for the wrong being done to the future citizens of the community and hr the teaohers. The system of capitation payment was reviewed as being a largely contributing cause of the trouble. If the teachers were not affected by the system, they could refuse to admit all over the number for which the school provided accommodation, and the present state of things would speedily be remedied. The following resolution was passed and ordered to be forwarded to the Minister of Education: “ That tl 's Institute urges upon the authorities the necessity for taking immediate steps to remedy the grievous wrong that is being done by the overcrowding in many of our city and suburban schools to the health of the community.” The secretary was instructed also to communicate on the subject witii the Minister of Public Health.

It was also decided again to urge upon women the necessity for offering their services for seats upon _ «cho-5l committees at the coming elections. In connection with the increasing agitation for the introduction of religious teaching into the public schools the following resolution was passed: “That this Institute, whilst fully recognising that religion is of prin ary importance to the individual, is strongly opposed to the State assuming the province of religious instructor, as all such attempts have led, and must again lead, to cruel persecutions ot both teachers and children. The proposal to enforce on teachers a mechanical method in religious instruction, according to the higher educational authorities tends to quench rather than encourage the spiritual life. The l ight of entry into the schools of ministers of different denominat’nis t» separate sections of the children for religious instruction would certc-..nlv be destructive of the good comradeship and kindly relations now existing between children of parents of Widely different religious beliefs, and would undo the practical lessons of human brotherhood now inculcated in our schools, and eventually destroy our national schools system by introducing discordant denominntional'sin. This Institute urges upon women to stand by the ideals of the promoters of our free, secular and compulsory system of education, as these pioneers in the cause of democracy were, well aware ,o f the past evil results of sectarianism in education.’*

Tt was decided also to draw attention to the fact that at present provision is made for religious instruction out of school hours for children voluntarilv attending, and the opportunity thus afforded can be used by men and women who desire to assist in this direction.