WOMEN’S DIVISION

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 75, Issue 6443, 7 November 1947, Page 5

WOMEN’S DIVISION

VISIT OF DOMINION PRESIDENT SPLENDID ADDRESS BY MRS ELLIOTT Yesterday the Parish Hall ’was packed to capacity when members of the W.D.F.F. welcomed the Dominion President of that organisation, Mrs Elliott. Members from the South Auckland province, the Waipa province, and representatives of the Federated Farmers were among those present. After lunch Mrs Elliott was welcomed by Mrs Ray, president of the Waipa Provincial, and she was presented with a shoulder spray. Flowers were also presented by Mrs Masters, president of the South Auckland Provincial, and Mrs Taylor, president of the Cambridge branch, and Mrs Eyre, president of the Te Awamutu branch. Mrs Elliott, in commencing her speech, said she was the luckiest woman in the world in that she was privileged to be Dominion President of the Women’s Division Farmers, as all the good in the members was enfused in her. She was very pleased to meet members in isolated areas, and she had a great desire to. meet isolated branches. It was not possible for those branches to have representativves at the annual conference or at executive meetings. Mrs Elliott caused smiles when she said that when away on a tour of the Dominions she always sent telegrams to her husband who often wondered where she was. Before coming to Te Awamutu she had visited Auckland and North Auckland district branches. Prior to that she had been in Dunedin which was not so cold as many people thought. They were able to grow the same plants as in warmer climates and they were not ice bound. The Dominion President went on to stress the value of the house-keeping work which was being done. She praised the house-keeping secretary for her good work. Last year the homes had been helped to the extent of £1744 a and a total of £6002 8s 8d had been paid out in wages with £1345 12s lOd in subsidy. Mrs Elliott asked them never to believe that the house-keeping work had gone out of operation as could be judged by the above figures. That work had given a prestige to the W.D.F.F. second to none in New Zealand. Wages had been raised and still the demand could not be met. The Government had been approached, and they had consented to bring in women to New Zealand for the house-keeping work. The problem that faced the W.D.F.F. was that of housing) those women. 4 They had Mrs Duncan Simpson in London who had the onerous job of selecting the women and the members’ job was to give them homes. The New Zealand Government paid the fares, and were paying the fares of six or eight women, four for the North Island and four for the South Island. Members of the Advisory Board were taking them into their own homes until such time as they had positions. The W.D.F.F. had the assurance of the Government that they could get more women, so that they were sitting in a happy position. The Dominion secretary had received information that women with children were waiting to come out. There were possibilities for the greater development of the scheme, now that they had the assistance of the Government. The prosperity of New Zealand in the main depended on primary production and that was why they wanted to make the country members’ lives as happy as possible by seeing that all had help in housekeeping. The Women’s Division was very much in earnest in their desire and efforts to help bring women to the Dominion to help their own country sisters. The Dominion president said she had attended the Aid for Britain Conference in Wellington and Mrs Elliot said she was very proud that she was a farmer’s wife, and she was very pleased to hear the programme put forward by the Federated Farmers at that conference.

Praise had also been given by the Prime Minister in that direction. There were over 200 delegates present of which only seven were women. In addition to the speaker there was the president of the National Council of Women, the president of the Federation of Women’s Institutes, two from the National Party and two from the Labour Party. Mrs Elliott went on to praise the efforts of the country women in the time of war, but their work was made difficult through not being able to get sufficient help, thus reducing production. The Federated Farmers was the only organisation who had any concrete proposals to bring forward and the outcome of the conference was a pledge to Britain and the assurance of the Government to help bring out house-keepers. “We have the women in our country who have the missionary spirit to help the women on the land, said Mrs Elliott. The speaker then outlined the activities of the Rest Home Scheme, and said that at the present time negotiations were being finalised for a Rest Home in Onehunga. There they have an excellent building in every respect. It was at the end of the tram terminus, five minutes’ run from the city. It is near Jellicoe Park, and a beach was handy. The house was on one acre of land. Mrs Elliott related the story of high finance and said the Rest Homes had built up the prestige •of the Women’s Division. It was through the experience of one of.their own homes that they could realise the need and benefit of such Rest Homes. Their slogan “Service to Others in Times of Need” was evident. The Country Chest was doing valuable work and it helped with the Rest Homes as well as with house-keeping work. Mrs Elliott instanced a case of a visit to one of the homes of a lady who was a grandmother many times over, and she said she had been treated like a little duchess. They were very fortunate in the excellent qualities of their nature of those homes for they had the true missionary spirit. They were endeavouring to- get a scheme functioning whereby mothers with children could be sent to sea-side homes for a rest and holiday and Mrs Elliott asked members to give the proposal some thought. The work of the Maori girls domestic training scheme was explained by the speaker, who said an excellent job of work was being done. They have

ten girls in training at “Kaianga” Home, in Palmerston North. Mrs Saulsbury, as matron, took an outstanding intetest in the girls and her work was valuable. Mrs Elliott stressed the need for membership in the W.D.F.F. and she asked them to encourage women to join because of the fact that as a primary producing country they should have all women helping the movement. They also owed a duty to Federated Farmers of New Zealand, because it was they who fostered the forming of the Women’s Division. Mrs Elliott said that all women should take an intelligent interest in international affairs as a body of women. They could act by discussion groups, reading articles in magazines and other means, enlighten themselves. “This is one big world and we have to play our part as a Women’s organisation towards the rehabilitation of the world,” stated Mrs Elliott. Continuing, the speaker said it was said that several organisations might go out of existence because of the set-up of the Adult Education Scheme. Nine thousand copies of the “Country Women” were being printed this year, and unfortunately each set of copies issued was raised in price, but the Advisory Board did not intend to increase the price of the magazine but they wanted to extend the membership each year. Mrs Elliott asked for support in that direction and she suggested that helpful information for any section of the magazine be sent to the Editors. Members should not be afraid to send forward criticism, instructive or destructive. Mrs Elliott gave a message regarding citizenship, pleading for such to be Maced on a higher plane, both in our own country, and internationally. “Our work Is being done through love, courage and determination. Our badge stands for our home, our country, our school, and our community. Those are the traditions of our Empire,” said Mrs Elliott, who asked members to keep their Church before them. The Women’s Division were non-sectarian, non party political, while religion was never discussed. They were a spiritual body of women, concluded Mrs Elliott.

On the motion of Mrs Ray and Mrs McWhannell, a hearty vote of thanks, carried by acclamation, was accorded Mrs Elliott. Mrs Neill endorsed the complimentary remarks paid to the speaker. It was an enthusiastic meeting and members left the hall feeling that it had been a privilege to be present and to Hear such an informative and inspiring address*