FIRST ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 64

FIRST ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

On Ocfcjuer 14 the first conference of delegates representing the different branches of the Society for the Health of Women and Children was held in Wellington. The meeting was organised by Lady Plunket, whe has besn «o intimately identified with the spread of the Society's wcrk throughout the Dominion, and her Excellency took a keen interest in the proceedings throughout. There vere delegates from Auckland, New Plymouth. Palmerston North, Napier, Hastings, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. „ Remarkable unanimity of opinion was shown in regard to the various matt-jrs which n ere brought up for consideration ; and the testimony of delegates as to (he steady progress and the success of the Society's work in the various centres left no room for doubt as to the permanence and growing importance of the mm 'MM°Q ' RESOLUTIONS. (1) That foi the coming year the cential advisory council of thi society^ representing fho wnolc Dominion, b "as heretofore the Dunedin committee. (2) Tha 4; all branches adop^ the uniform styls "The Society for the Health of Women and Children." It, was agreed that the change was vary desirable, as the original n^ama, " Tho Society for the Promotion of the Health »f Women and Children," was cumbrous and was oi>pn io the serious objection that confusion was conMai^tly arising ■ between it and tha Society for the Protection of Women and Children. (3) That the establishment of local branches of the Society in Aarious small townships and remote places where a Plunket nurse could not be support-ad by I lie local community should be further «xtandod on the lines on which it had been alr'-ady initiated, such branches to be visited at stated intervals by Plunkot nurses from larger centres or by specially api'oinr-rd travelling Plunket nius^s; the constitution, powers, privi'ejrss, financial and other responsibilities of the subbranches to be arranged by the larger censes in connection with which they were established, subject to confirmation at annual nieatinge. (4) It was decided to approach tho Government with the view of rendering illegal Ui3 importation, sale, or use of long lube feeders, in accordance wiih tho iegulations in force in Fiance and elsewhere. (5) That a specially ..rained nuv?e should bo appointed as a lecturer (o iour the Dominion in the interests, of the Society's mission, and to fuilher onlichten tho pubhe as to ihe aims and objects of the society :intl the work of the Plunket nur=es. (6) 'Thai all branches cf the Sccictv should bf- incorporated undor ihe Unclassified Po^i^ties Act and amendments. (7) That tl.o annual roiifc icncs should I consist of iwo doles at "s from each fully , equiped district, and that when con\ement I the annuil conference should be conc-urront ! with the annual nie°tinff of tho New Zeaj land branch of tho But'ish Medical Asso- ; ciaiion. | (8) The next annual conffrencn wa? fixed for Dunedin. to be hold immediately after the riproa^hinpr annual meeting- of the Medical Association at Wellington, earl} in the rousing yea.* ! LADY jPLUXKET'S RESIGNATION. It was resolved- —'"Thi.t this conference desires to convey to her Excellency Ladj i Pl'ink"t if <io<",t sense of the valuable* wo-k ihat =he has done throughout the Dominion in arou«inp public interest in the objects of the Society, and of the pnthusiasm and self-denial wii.li which she Ims de\o(ed hersolf to the services of the babies. The conference deeply regrets the nece.« ty for her Evcellency's resignation. 1 and begs io assure her that her name will ahvavs bu associated with the woik, and . will long be held in affectionate re nembranee."' Ru!k and advice for the guidance of Plunket nur«es were framed, and will be i published scon. Thjre was a consensus of opinion among ihe delegates that an urgent protost she nil be made against tho use of | pu>h c-art c, savr>ral <=peakeis giving striking instances of serious harm arising from the use of them. A number of other matters of detail were discussed. DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. A deputation of the Society's delegates, introduced by Mr Jaiuos Allen, and accompanied by a number of Otago members of the House, waited on the Premier on Friday, October 15. with a view to enlisting h;s sympathy and support for the work Veing carried on by various branches throughout the Dominion. The sunimarv account of the interview telegraphed from Wellington was unfortunately very inaccurate in several paiticulars. Thus eacn speaker in turn was referred to as having desired 'rip for a '• Baby Hospital," of which it was assumed that nine had been established. In reality, there is only one— viz, the Kaiitana Hospital, at Dunedin What the delegates said had reference to the work done by members of the Society and by the Plunket Nurses. Agaiu^ Mrs

Parkes did not say that 3000 babie6 had been dealt with at Auckland, but that over ! 3000 visits had been paid by their Plunket , Nurses. Similarly, Mrs Morton, of Christbhurch, dad not say that over 500 babies had " passed through the institution," but 1 that this number had been under the care of their Plunket Nurses at the time of the last annual meeting Again, Mrs Theomin, when speaking of the Karitane Hospital, did not state that " there was a t shortage of £730 last year," but that that sum would be needed to carry on in the future. In reality, the Dtinedin Society , has never been in debt at all, though the ! committee has sometimes been hard 1 pressed to meet the extensive and growI ing work which it has felt bound to undertake in connection with the Baby Hospii tal, the Plunket nursing, and wide educational functions in the interests of the j health of mothers and babies. j The following paragraph, clipped from , the Christdhurch Press of October 18, con- ! veys a fair impression of the Premier's 'attitude towards the deputation: — Speaking to our reporter in regard to the deputation from the Society that had waited on the Prime Minister at Wellington, an officer of the Christchurch )sra-Ticb of fhe Society fetatod that the impression liable to be co^eyed by the short report telegraphed to some papers was that die requests of the deputation had been received somewhat unsympathetically. In reality, quite_ Ihe reverse was the case. Sir Joseph Ward had expressed himself as being in entire sympathy with what tho Society was doing, and much impressed with the value of : ts work to the Dominion. He nad proi mised all the financial support that present circumstances would permit, especially in connection with the Karitane Babies' Hospital. Dunedin, and the eup.iort of the Plunket Nurses in the larger centres. A. the same time, hs had explained that ai a. number of requests were being received from various smaller centres asking for similar consideration, the question, of indefinite extension in this direction would be one for very various consideration, and he could not give any definite undertaking in the meantime. However, no oouot ■had been left in the minds cf the memb",r* of the ieputation that the work of the Society had the entire sympathy • ! and approval'of the Prime Minister, and that he would afford it all the support lie oouW The Premier's actual words at the opening of his reply were as follows, and this spirit was reflected throughout what he said subsequently : — i "It would be a. poor man whose s>mnathies were not on the side oi those who !In assisting the rmnement. I am anxious Ito see it carried on for all time, and suecessfullj'." __^ — — .