COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18460, 25 July 1923, Page 14

COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

■J The,' Auckland branch of the National Council of Women met on Monday evening in the Business Girls' Club room. The president,. Miss S. E. Jackson, occupied ■ the chair. : It: was reported that the following telegram had been sent by the council to the "Hon. C. J. Parr and 40 members of the House:—That the National Council 01 Women, representing 80 affiliated societies, has affirmed and reaffirmed the desirability *of 'women-jurors -and trusts you will give effect to the wishes of such a very large body of women. ' '--A suggestion /was,added that mothers of families should be considered exempt.. It was . also decided that Mr. Wilford should -receive the council's thanks for bringing the matter up in Parliament. ;•-.; -, ■ V ' The following resolution■"; was adopted: That- the study of . civics be introduced /into' the I schools. Mrs. ' Skelton, who had 'been a, member" of the Sheffield National Council in England, was welcomed to the meeting. ;;' .--A, ./■'.,■■' . ■' An interesting /account of the work of the . Auckland v Ladfts' Benevolent Society was given by M*s. Molesworth Tolhurst. The object of the ; society, ; saia, /the'' speaker, was l&' help- poor ; ..gentle-. folk, .people, who through no fault of their own were in poverty. . Many of - them had .the. greatest objection to " accepting charity, yet they had to live / and by . giving a little help the society could sometimes tide them over a bud ' time. -In some cases an old age pensioner had only. 10s a week,; and five shillings extra a week meant luxury. The society spent , nothing on its organisation except a commission to the collector of its subscripI tions. The Government give a subsidv or /^sv/for 1 each pound! - collected. The • .society ' was //founded 80 years ago, when during Heke's war- fugitives from ; .the North came to ;/ Auckland /and a :{ number ? of,: men and women banded them- ' /selves together /to help them. ; This little body of people was the original society ] \ which to-day was carrying on "i a very im- !; portant work in the community. On its books there were 300 regular cases of old - age pensioners over 70 years of fatte, besides; numerous widows and ' families : who ;■ received support. Gifts of clothes /were'..very much; valued, and the society was always .endeavouring to add to its stock of discarded garments which were handed in from its many friends in the /city. -Mrs.; C. H. Jones was president of the ladies' conmittee and Miss .Wallace honorary secretary.