MRS. ANNIE McVICAR, J.P.

NZ Truth, Issue 1103, 20 January 1927, Page 4

MRS. ANNIE McVICAR, J.P.

Mother, Philosopher and Executive

If it were possible for people of past decades to have any regrets, the fact that the annals of achievement are overwhelmingly masculine should be S. fiftlf — I*GT_(l*o3_.ol_. - In what we are nowadays pleased to call an enlightened era, it is noteworthy that the counsel of womanhood counts for so much and that the voice of woman is heard to such advantage. Wellington has a number of cases m support of this cdntention, more particularly that of Mrs. Annie ■ McVicar, J.P. Tears ago, when the teachings of the Plunket Society were catalogued among the new-fangled, Mrs. McVicar placed the' weight of her convictions m support of the movement to erect a fence on the hill of infant mortality. > Those were strenuous, thankless days. Time was when Wellington did not have its own Plunket nurses and when criticism was very bitter; when it behoved executives to put their shoulders to the wheel that turned so slowly, and for quite a time this lady interviewed' mothers m her own home and dispensed treatments. * '■■''•%' In speaking to her, one feels that the milk of human kindness is leavened, throughout everything she does, and her probity, staunch beliefs and circum--spection have been instrumental m bringing about many much-needed reforms m various public institutions. . T. Being thus infused with the civic spirit, she attracted the attention of her fellow-men and women to such an extent that they elected her to the City Council. Many of her efforts m connection with municipal affairs came to pleasant fruition, and. the course of her" office was of undoubted benefit to those who gave her their confidence. Her many fine qualities — humanity, wisdom and motherliness m particular — are tempered with Scottish shrewdness, as many thoughtless and self-seeking women have found to their cost. More especially is this applicable to her association with magistrates m the Children's Court at Wellington. She will tell you that quite often women who have no sense of motherhood's obligations will apply for the committal of her child or children to the State. Then it is that feminine intuition is required to delve beneath the surface and view the true circumstances. It might be imagined that a woman who has been so nmch m- the public eye within a score of years would, seek the limelight. It must be observed, here and now, however, that never was a light more closely hidden under a bushel than that which shines under the name of Mrs. McVicar. Many graceful acts could be attributed to this lady, especially m relation to her work as a member of the Wellington Hospital Board, but Scotslike she does them and then just forgets all about it. "Let's not talk-.about it," she. will say. "It's all m the day's march." A really fine philosophy, you will agree. » Among many other things she is chairman of the ladies' advisory committee for domestic science at the Wellington Technical College. Now that sounds somewhat formidable and smacks of much theory and little practice, doesn't it? ' v On examination we recollect that not so many years gone by the lot of a housewife was little short of slavery and that things were done by all sorts of indeterminate means. After all, there is a scientific way of . doing most commonplace things and -making them more pleasurable. l!l|||||ll!|||||||.||||||||||!llllll.|||lM