WOMEN'S DIVISION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20569, 21 May 1930, Page 17

WOMEN'S DIVISION.

FARMERS' UNION.

THE BACK-BLOCKS SETTLER. Although tho womon's division of the Now Zealand Farmers' Union is still in its infancy, it has organised and put into actual working practice valuable work for tho assistance of tho women living in tho backblocks in New Zealand. It has now 5000 members, 91 branches and four provincial councils. Its bush-nursing scheme provides scientific and experienced nursing at a inoderato cost to people living in outlying districts, and it provides visiting housekeepers for the relief of women living on the land where regular domestic help is inadequate. So far it has four nurses and 50 housekeepers who travel all over New Zealand wherever their services aro applied for. Tho nurse or housekeeper goes into a homo for a month or less if wished, but if their services aro needed for a longer period, a further application has to be made. In no citso is help given for more than three months. Tho New Zealand Government makes a grant every year to pay travelling expenses of nurses and housekeepers on tho railways for thoso unablo to pay such. • Besides tho work of tho bush nurse and housekeeper auxiliary, thero aro many women who act voluntarily as nurses in a. district, moro especially whero out-back settlements aro being established. To theso women the branch committees provide nurse's bags consisting of medicines, hot-water bags, clinical thermometers; in fact, all that is needful for nursing tho sick. Tho moro widely the work of the women's division becomes known, tho moro it is appreciated and tho greater the support it receives.