WOMEN IN COUNCIL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13321, 5 March 1914, Page 4

WOMEN IN COUNCIL.

,". '"LARGE GATHERING OF W.C.T.UjM - , <( DELEGATES. V| "■; Representatives from all parts of New, . 2ealaiidS assembled' at '-the'- Scottish- H-alli this morning; when the 29th • annual cohventioiiofUhe Dominion -.WiC.T-U- was •Opened: Mrls Doll, of iDunedih, 'acting-.. ifeesident,' presided.'; The' p\ , Ogr&mirie<'oi' . Easiness to be dealt* with is- voluminous, 'and an idea pf-'thh? is gained from the '"". fSct that there .are* 31 reports from vari- • ,*■ -ous^ departments, iii addition to the • >. *axjecutive officers' reports, to be considered- ■ . . ' -„' 3.* The proceedings wsre;. opened.-, at S • C^clock with the singing of the ;: hymn, "Give' to '-the *Wum Thy Fears," followed -by -'an' earnest prayer offered* by Mrs Lee-Cbwie. I. After the-siiiging' of another. Hymn . the devotional exercises • were continued by a season^ of, prayer, r-a^numTtM''of!'lielegatea taking part. The .roll was then called as follows r-^-Mrs hDoII) Dunedin, acting-Dominion' Presi:'J: 4&& ; Heuoerson, Cliristchuvch. ?'?!&miiuon corresponding secretary, j .Mrs ! Bendely; Aimk*and,' : Dominion^ treasurer ; * Miss; Powell, .Paimerston North;'*DOmi'n- •■-. ion ovga^iser ; 'also the following : ■ Mrs * Rule, Timaru ; Mrs Auld, Hamilton; Mrs Evans, ; Miss Atkinson, , Nelson; Mrs Blighting, Kaiapoi ; ! JNTi-s ©rabb,-. Paimerston .North >~ Mrs^Driver; Dunedin ; Mrs Gra-ha-mj .Gisborne ; Sister 1 Moody-Bell, Inyercargdi; Miss Tucker, Wanganui ;• Mrs "; Walker, Gisborne ;.' Mrs '■ DearToveT Napier-;* Miss DeWair;' Auck-' .'land ; Miss. Taunt-;. New ; Plymouth y Mrs Wte^-njgtpn j,, Missr Ma**inder> "Hawera; PahiatUa^ Ji^rs Judson, Nelsori-; Mistf'Rob'erts;' Cnrlstchiirch ; Mrs T. E. Taylor-, Christcsmrch; Miss -Bishop-,/. Christchurch; , M iss" Newton, Rangkpaja,-; . Mrs ' Field, "Mrs i : Thorpe', A Auckland: Mrs ftarraway, Aucklarai ; : Mrs> V&iable£, Nabier ;' Mrs Hopkirk, Waipnikurau ;%Mr>"-'Marlsindale, Hastings; Mrs Millar, Masterton },- Mrs Perkins, .W t qodviUe,;^., t Mys -Goffe, Gisborne;- Mrs Lee^'COwie, ' Invexcarg^li ; ;Mrs Holbrc<>k\^l<aa[merstK)ri' : N^tti; Mi's Atkinson; r Wellington) •- Centtal ; Mrs • , Morice, - Opotiki.^,. Miss Galay*, . Ponsoh- • ": by ; Mrs ' Gains! ord , v O;xf o)$ ; . M iss ,-Davies; Blenheim";. * Mrs A.' Smith, '* Ashbmtort;«~MrsvM«lJaaey New Pl^eM; sMrs Bliszardj Ngaere 1 ;: Mr^H*i6ks>Wan--gmui Eastj^lrs Roke v Matakana;-Mts eats, DeVoh'port ; Miss Hawke, Oxford • Y*s; Miss Hayes, Nelson Y's. Proxies: ■ Miss Bagnttß'.-for^Pahi'atua., 1 ' Miss S*an-( lah for* Wihchmore, MrS>Laybo*urne--fo'r' Ngaeo, Mrs Fox for Christchurch iJT's, Miss Woodhead for. Belfast,. Mrs -Hunt for Bluffy- and for'Lyttaton. ', Proxies :Were-iappoiftted*-f6r several' ■unions - iwho- cottteU noti* otherwise be represented. jf^oninißtees were . appointed for courtesies^; ahd w resolutions, together with Convention* 'ijjtterv writer andj^re.portera to. tne pVesjS.r ' . .\*'>"'*" : '.. Mrs Don .read her presidential .address, opening with" touching '-'reference, to the ,late Mrs, Cole> k late Dominioh i 'W:O.T.U. President,, who as lately a* the. last con*: '■ vention held m. Nelson was, able to pre* side. The address (published oh page Bof this 1 issue) was listened' to "with great interest* and Mrs' Don was frequently applauded. t . ;' Mrs iPeryman moved the adoption of the addfejss, and proposed a' hearty vote of -thanks' td Mrs Doit. This' was seconded by. Miss Powell, and was carried with acclamation,. . r , . Mrs Pei'yman moved the .following resolution. That the organiser arid' organising treasurer have a seat m convention. -•-Carried. " Mrs Dearlove moved 'the following resolution: ''That. article iy:;,of jthe N.Z. constitution should be, a^riend^d ift 1 the ' direction of. giving the business manager 1 a seat uponfithje executive when the^edi- : tor is unable to be ( present."-rCarried. . : ■> It. was decided'tp send letters, of sym- i pathy to prominent k menibers ( of the i union ivka r i^ere unable' tett attend the i convention owing* to, sickness or bereave- ; t ment. Mrs Don pronounced tlie' bene- < diction before luncheon adjournment. i -.'' v j 'reports'. .. '.- M i The Tvpbrti'r Submitted 'to' tlie confer- ■ ence thi* af ternocftlv were as follows :— • . Correspondingrsecretary.-T-lita lengthy- - report, reviewing,. . the work of- j tjie " . ! unions during the year, Miss. Ileiiderson f said one wailil^i'h'al'eiy ' fcheefed* r! aiid dis- 1 couraged-^cheered '% tW e videu'ceS ! that i most of the iilnons "^ere\ active m! the promotion' ;pf .tlie principles* of the .great erganisailoil'—- discouraged becau-je too i many seemed to lack the energy and en- 1 thusiasm necessary, .for , the successful- , ] carrying. put of;. their,- work, and were 1 disposed to/.cbmplain,. of the fewnes^ of ( their numbers and;. tli(eir. lack pppor- ] t'Unities.'. ! Th^^pr^pects of ' the poll /at M the end" of "thV present, year- might pr-oye % \ to have 'a regen^ratytg./andjreviyifving' ] influence on*;' the^SYeakpr . unions, i jThere were 87j jadhlif^^unWn.s ; . .four * lesi tlian iii ( 1912, tllbijgh\diunng\ tlie ' y.ear'.^ix 'new.' ' f hnions had b^eeh organised" and one old ] one reorganised' Tnerc were^ine -..'"Wl ( Unions m active work r . 'Miss ' Woo- , bead, the Maori organiser, '. had been „ doing splendid work: for the last^few } monthus, and' there... w.ere now 74 Maori ] unions on the list,. with, a total member- . chip of 800. The weak link iii the chain ' of the work was the "V" unWhs^ and the ' most popular department Mas t'hecradle ] roll. A union/jWhich lvas r succeeded 1 m . bringing a number r of ..y^ung mpjbhers ■ into totich VithT its 'ftorWvfas doing a . Slendid'Ber\'ice'to the ittation; Bahdtff ope -work had -.also been actively' car- ! ried on. Prizes had been offered for ] essays on^ the temperance \yall sheets and the Value' of this' means of .inculcating temperance principles could riot- be ; overnestimated. Tlie good work done by unions interesting- tiiemselvemfnvpublic activities of a comniunity^vas re-, f erred to m detail." Miss ' Henderson said she mentioned these, ;in._ihe hope that they might prove. an inspiration, to ' new unfons" which w^re' looting for openings for work';"' 1 Feeling""' reference was made to.-*the* death of Mrs^Ckile. This year they had hoped.. for- great things';. but they, should nee,d to!. put, a]l their enetgy int6 the figntV A redaction of the handibap'would. mak/i'tKe x carrying , national prohibition' a possibility', in^l9l4. "God has, ordained that right ;v shall triumph', b*ut He, accomplishes his pur- . pose through men arid women. May it be given*t6 us to', carry the r, White' Ribbon banner invthe 1 triumphal rprocessidri of victory m the year 1914." MisS Henderson stated that the membership . was 2895?-' ~y. . .;' L., - .." r ;: v -' ': ; .;'.- ; Treasurer's regorf'—Tlie repprt of the treasurer (Mrs" Bendely) was as..follows : — Receipts : Brought forward -BlOOJ! capitation fees £83 16s 4d; donati6ris and mispellanep^s £35 .4s 7d; total' £218 10s lid. ' Expenditure: Printing aiid advertising £38 lis 9d, postage, ielegrams, etc.,* £8 10s, travelling expenses £25 lis Ud, %rahts.,'t& superintendents £10 2s ,6d, £26-v 12s 6d, world's capitation fees £14 0a Id,. world's missionary fiihd £9; total £132 8s 9d, credit balance, February 16, 1914, £86 2 8 . 2 d. .-. ••:•■' . Organiser -s. jjeport.— The -Dominion; organiser, Miss Powell, reported: After the > Nelsori' con vehtioh r I spent 6f months m "organising for the Dominion W.C.T.U., during, which time T- ! travelled Tty steamer or ...on wheels, about 3200 miles, cycled 150 miles, wrote 161 \leV' ters, ,52 letter"' cards,' and ' 107 post' cards,' slept- in .46 different beds, and paid' over 600 'calls., I, also .visited 14. unions organised 7. new ones .and visited 8 places with a 'View \ ib organising, but' failed; to 'do. fib ; giving "47 addresses ' arid organising three. Bands, of, Hope. I ppcuVed 131 new members, and 98 ;white ribbon subsci-ibers." Miss Powell then detailed her tour. , MAORi'^ft^AmSEß'^'l^PQ^^ Miss Florahco Woodhead, the Maori organiser, reported that, the yeftr had been 1 full' qt gftlii^in'tl^e. Maori unions. There was' a large' iii.ci'base m the number of unieiie; and a gieat ndmbei' had signed pledges*;' The majority .f of.- the unions were working rteach*ing Sunday school, .visiting the s^ck, ai)d . doing their^-uthldst- to keep drink .. f r6ni their settlements. It Hvas Whoist necessary, for the Maori unipijs , ,to be,^visited at -least once a year. They, helped the organiser m practical waySr They need h|ve'no : fear .that, their time and labor' was- being ..thrown, yaway; in:.*the*-werk.* amongst tneird^rk sistei'fi, for she was always ••; received. -.witifi- .ithc, warmest- of^ welcomes; ' , Tlie ybun^ men were also desirous >: of : 'forhkng btaiiches- of .the Yp'Ung Maori Party. "The poor women of.Hhe northy" stages the report, "have a dreadful evil to fight m the, way of wjpe sold r ihdiscfihuhately by fdreigners td men. girls. OiVe glass alone of this; 'doctored' wine is sufficient to make a persdn dreadfully iutoxicated.

They liave ' begged me to put this before their -European sisters to see if we cannot get *S6m'et>n'e" to make am ove m this dreadful • ruining of • souls. It is pitiful to see young giris. m their teens madly drunk andj Avith- all "• loss of modesty."^ Complaints .were also made about kegs; of. beet" 5 being supplied to; meeting-houses. Still 'r there was '. to be seert an enormous improvement amongst the people where , unions had ,been 'formed. The women's \rinons had erected churches and' meeting-houses, besides ; improving their own homes and- caring ' fo\r tlieir children. .There were 60 Maori unions.' V ' MAORI, WORK. ' '; .'•>-, ) ili-s 'Hughes, m a detailed statement, I ■repoi'ted that the work m this department during the past year had .been. of. a varied but very interesting nature. •Having no organiser' for the first few months, very -little cdlild be 'done 1 . The trying^time. experienced -by the organiser; owing to the smiaUppx epidemic.and.herown health was^ hVentioried,^ arid the unions' Were" thanked"' for' the* way ' they, had supported the work. The receipts irt connection with this department during the year. amounted to £95 7s. Id, and tlie expehditui-e was £75 2s Bd, . leaving a balance "of £20 4s sd. = l .' EVAUfGELISTIC. ' CTVrrs Upton furnished-.. ;a report under this head, showing what had. been $one m various' centres.' fivangefistlc , meetings ahdpriyeV meetings had : beeii hMd, Sunday school work undertaken";" and Pocket Testament League propagated. : Man ( y received "great blessing at the j special defotidnal services. " ' ' H;bme meetings.— Miss. -Dewar subrtutted a report on,- t^is work, sho\ving that the department "' fiad been active, numerous home meestings. .having been heldf : in different" "t§w^Vsl -yhen x Addresses weH; given o*fl ''ya'rious i subjects. ' Mothers' 'meetmgs.-^--Mrs' A. 0. . Jones reported that' successful meetings ' had been ' held dupingj the. year, when addresses, were, given and papers ; read on subjects '.relating, to ''Temperaiice," • < HomVTTaihlng , ,'^ aiicl "The^ Responsibilities of Motherhood:" "'"'