“TIME DEVOTED TO DEEDS”

Southland Times, Issue 24181, 18 July 1940, Page 8

“TIME DEVOTED TO DEEDS”

MEMBERS OF W.D.F.U. DOMINION CONFERENCE OPENED (United Press Association! WELLINGTON, July 16. “Women of action whose time is devoted to deeds, not words,” was a phrase used by the wife of the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) in describing her impressions of the members of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union when she spoke at the opening of the Dominion conference this afternoon.

The organization had more than 20,000 members, said Mrs Fraser, and what those women said and thought must have a tremendous influence on the national life of the country. The women added a great amount to farm production and the revenue of the country and they were a formidable force in the life of the Dominion. By helping on the farms they were helping Britain.

At a meeting of the Dominion executive in the morning remits were passed as follows: —

That delegates who accept nomination to the conference exercise their votes.

That a protest be made against delegates whose expenses are paid and who absent themselves from the conference without branch consent.

That all nominations *for honorary Dominion life membership be made by the provincial executives to the Advisory Board, which shall forward the names to the conference.

A recommendation from the Advisory Board was passed, as follows:—“That four additional members be co-opted by the Advisory Board, if necessary, for one year, these members to attend meetings and have voting powers and that the Advisory Board reports be sent to the provincial presidents with such admissions as the Dominion president wishes.” '

Discussing war work in her presidential report, Mrs Noel Adams (Auckland), Dominion president, said the women of the Women’s Division of the Farmers Union, as wives and daughters of farmers, were fortunate in that they already had valuable work to do in helping to increase farm production. This meant more work in the home for them and the job was more than ever to stay on the farms. She appealed to women capable of filling housekeeping positions under the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union scheme of help for farmers’ wives, to come forward. The dearth of help in this direction was distressing. Mrs Adams was re-elected Dominion president. Vice-presidents were elected as follows:—North Island: Mrs' T. R. Barrer (Wairarapa), Mrs F. Rybum (South Auckland), Mrs W. H. Lane (South Auckla: d); South Island: Mrs O. L. Haldane (Golden Bay), Mrs W. Eliot (Otago), Mrs W. Orr (Balfour, Southland); co-ordinating committee: Mesdames T. R. Barrer (Masterton), chairman, Noel Adams (Auckland), Paul Gillingham (Lower Hutt), T. Milne (Wellington), and A. B. Smith (Wellington).