THOUSANDS OF DELEGATES.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12427, 21 August 1933, Page 2

THOUSANDS OF DELEGATES.

5000 VILLAGES FILL ALBERT HALL. At dawn the tiny human streams began to gather. From each of four thousand villages and more, some of the remotest parts of the country, came two or three woiiien with little badges on their coats. They travelled by bus, by local train, and presently reached the main lines, poured into London, and filled the enormous Albert Hall with a sea of faces, representing 5000 villages, about 800 of whom were unable to send delegates, though many of them listened in to the opening speeches. THE POWER BEHIND THE CARDS. And what were the members of this vast Village Parliament doing all day? Not thinking of themselves: they were thinking of affairs affecting the cause they are so proud to be pledged to—to work for home and country in the villages of England. They gave the impression of an immense power in themselves which grew to a stupendous force when one realised that behind each of these women lifting their green cards to vote was a village community of from 30 to 300 members who had considered the questions “before the house 7 ’ and sent their delegates as mouthpiece. “My Institute thinks” and “M.y county decides” were phrases, constantly heard. THE HAND THAT RULES THE WORLD. The speech of the Minister of Agriculture was an enlightening little sermon on the capital text that “the hand that carries the shopping-basket- rules the world. 77 Major Elliot was aware that his hearers knew all about cradles and cooking, but in talking of the shop-ping-basket he was on secure ground. The British housewife (he said) carries in her basket 96 per cent, of the export bacon of the world to this country, 94 per cent, of the mutton and lamb, half the world’s {cheese exports, and eight out of every ten ounces of butter sent by other countries. And she carries employment for men jin her basket, and hope, and many other things, he said. A VOICE FROM DURHAM. From this advice about the shop-ping-basket the meeting passed on to the sad question of those who had no basket. Five thousand villages were reminded that the Women’s Institutes were pledged to stand by home and country, and are not fairweather friends. If was made clear that the huge problem of distress caused by unemployment can be split up into manageable sections, and that each village can do something. Hundreds of the Institutes lie in distressed areas. There was one poignant moment when a voice rang out (through the amplifiers) all over the hall: “I am a miner’s wife from Durham village. The distress of unemployment is very great.” Other delegates spoke of similar conditions—in Lancashire, Cumberland. We are told of the Personal Service League started in Lancashire 18 months ago; the Make and Mend clubs ; oi the hundreds of shirts being made by the Oxfordshire Women’s Institutes. “We knitted during the war, and we must knit again (said a clear voice). The dole may pay for food and perhaps rent, but there is nothing for clothes. And we must stir up our local authorities to set unemployed men to work on more house-building, on cleaning out wells and drains, on hedging, ditching, on local craft work. We must give the unemployed men allotments where they can grow their own vegetables. And we must not forget that a great many of our members are very poor themselves.” Some of the resolutions before the meeting were concerned with the trapping of wild birds, the need of at least oTie woman on the board of every publicly-managed school, on the question of milk; and all were given a severe lecture about letting the milk stand, about when it bad at last reached the doorstep. Then, punctually to the hour, the conference ended. Thinking gratefully of the superb organisation behind it, the delegates went their ways homeward, back to t-lie little villages, about 8000 women richer for a great experience.