LEAGUE’S WELFARE WORK

Taranaki Daily News, 13 August 1930, Page 9

LEAGUE’S WELFARE WORK

OPIUM TRAFFIC CONTROL CARE OF WOMEN & CHILDREN DISCUSSION AT HONOLULU By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Rec. 7.20 p.m. Honolulu, Aug. 11. Great enthusiasm was evoked by an address by Dame Rachel Crowdy on the social and welfare work of the League of Nations delivered at a public meeting of the Women’s Pan-Pacific Conference to-day. She dealt briefly v ith the opium question, describing the international character of the trailic with the consequent difficulty of control. Dame Crowdy referred to reports of the committee investigating the traffic in women and children published by the League. There was no central dominating figure in the traffic, she said, but there was close co-operation between the individuals concerned, both men and women. Miss Abbott (United States Child Welfare Bureau) was responsible for the suggestion that an investigation should be carried out and was. also icspomsible for influence in obtaining American financial support. The investigation was to be continued in Asiatic countries on. the suggestion or the Japanese League delegate. Money would a covin be forthcoming from America.. °Child welfare was a comparatively new League undertaking. The work of the permanent commission eonsistec chiefly of studies of such subjects as children’s courts and the connection between illegitimacy and and delinquency. Three international child welfare conventions were being prepared. The subject of opium traffic was revived by Dame Crowdy at a public luncheon arranged by the Pan-Pacific Union to-day.' International machinery for the control of the traffic was described. Publicity was given to seizures of the drug and the publication of the names of the firms and individuals concerned was one of the chief means of cheeking the traffic and had valuable results. Annual reports were being supplied by the countries that had ratified the opium’ convention, giving the quantities imported, exported, manufactured and required for medical purposes. The value of cocaine, stated Dame Crowdy, made the smuggling of minute quantities profitable; hence the great ingenuity of the methods and the difficulty of detection. An interesting reception was held by the Pan-Pacific Institute at Manoa Valley, at which thanks were expressed in the Samoan language by Miss Jean Begg (Xew Zealand) and by the American and Chinese delegates. The conference’s work began to-day with a survey by Miss Jean Begg of social service problems. A keen discussion followed. Interest was shown in the Australian experiment of an unemployment tax.