The Northern Advocate Daily SATURDAY, JULY 20, 1935. WOMEN'S INSTITUTES

Northern Advocate, 20 July 1935, Page 8

The Northern Advocate Daily

SATURDAY, JULY 20, 1935. WOMEN'S INSTITUTES

Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper.

The groAvth of the Women’s Institutes movement in Northland, as in other parts of the Dominion, has been a source of faA'Oiirable comment and Avonder ment. “As.our page, “For Home and Country,” printed every Saturday, provides conclusive proof, Institutes are to be found in almost every district in the territory. There are about 120 between the Kaitaia district in the north and KaiAvaka in the south, and our reports of the proceedings at their meetings make it clear that they are amply fulfilling their purpose, Avhieh is primarily to improA’C conditions of rural life. Northland, and particularly the district adjacent to Whangarei, can lay claim to being in $ sense the cradle of the Institutes moA’ement in Ncav Zealand, and it is therefore a matter of more than passing comment that this year’s Dominion Conference, Avhieh opens on Tuesday next, is to be held in Auckland. This is the first time the conference has been held so far north, and avc hope it av’ ill not bo long before Northland itself is given the pleasure and pritulege of entertaining the delegates to AAhat is a most important convention. It is interesting, on the eve of the annual conference of Women s Institutes in Ncav Zealand, to recall that Dominion Institutes are units of an Empire-wide organisation, Avhieh. it is expected, will in due course become linked j up Avith the International Country-1

women of the World. An Institute member, therefore, may justly claim, in the language of St. Paul, to be a citizen of no mean city. The movement, as is well known, began in Canada, in a very bumble way, countrywomen in isolated districts making an effort to establish touch with one another. It spread quickly, and, before long, was adopted in England, where it was regarded as the much sought medium for the breaking down of class barriers and for the general improvement of rural life in Britain. This was about 20 years ago. The growth of the move-ment-during that period may be gathered from the fact that 8000; women, representing 5250 Institutes, attended the nineteenth annual meeting of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes at the Albert Hall, London, a few Weeks ago. These delegates, together "with members of Countrywomen’s Associations in Australia, Canada, Ceylon, India, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Nyassaland, South Africa and. Southern Rhodesia, sent- a message of congratulation to the King and Queen on their Silver Jubilee. Such a resolution is an illustration of the loyalty to the Crown which marks the Institutes movement throughout the Empire. Lady Denman, who presided, said that the membership had increased by 5000 during the year, 1000 of these belonging to Welsh Institutes. The movement’s large numbers, combined with hard work and careful thought, gave them great strength, and the president considered that the best way in which- that could be used was to try to improve the health of people in country districts. She then went on to make some comments which, in view 6f what is being urged in the same direction in New Zealand at the present time, is noteworthy. We would not be an A 1 race until every child, not only of , school age, had an adequate supply of milk. Could they get milk in all their villages and was the price charged one whicli it Was possible for people earning an agricultural wage to pay? They would be asked shortly to supply information 1m reply to those questions for the. use of the authorities, who realised that the health of the nation was its most valuable asset, and if present conditions made it impossible for people, even those living in a dairying district, to get the milk bn which that health so largely depended.' some new arrangements must be made.

Mr H. Rainshotham, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary t° the Board of Education, made a- fine speech in which he emphasised the;.efforts which are being, made to reviva agriculture in England, and he contended that the Women’s Institutes were especially' adapted to assist that revival movement. Turning particularly to the questions of the feeding of children, he said: There was abundant evidence that poverty was pot the only cause, nor ignorance of proper feeding confined to the poorer classes. It was one of the most vital problems of ftiodern civilisation, and unless fully realised there was danger that our great system of education might some day end in wasteful and futile tragedy. There was no organisation . better qualified than the Women’s Institutes to put into practice what should be universally known‘about food values.

’ Though the promotion of the health of women and children is a matter in which New Zealand has taken a lead of which it may well be proud, it would be absurd to say that all that shoiild be done has been done. It is agreed that milk, which % is admittedly fl food par excellence', is not consumed in anything like sufficient quantities by the children —and the adults—-of the Dominion. That this should be so in a country flowing with milk is surely an anachronism. “Starving in, the midst of plenty ” is a term which has been given prominence in discussions of the monetary situation, but it would seem to be more applicable to the feeding.of the young, who, allegedly for want of sufficient milk —which is going to the Old Country in quantities so large as to have raised protest in Britain—are said to be threatened Avith bad health and poor physique. . This is surely a matter into Avhieh the Women’s Institutes of New Zealand may appropriately throAv their Aveight. The moA r ement has to its credit a remarkable record of social and handicraft achievement, and avc feel that its members haA r e a unique opportunity to further Avhat should be regarded as a national campaign. We offer our congratulations to the Women’s Institutes on the completion of another year of service in the interests of rural life, and express the hope that the annual conference to lie held in Auckland next AA r eok may proA'ide. further inspiration and practical help.