NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20043, 4 September 1920, Page 6

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

A meeting of the Christchurch branch of the National Council of Women was hold on Wednesday, Miss Henderson presiding. The secretary reported that a letter had been received from the Department of Internal Affairs with regard to picture advertisements, stating that the Minister has recently directed that all hints in future are to be classed eithei A, for adults only, or U, for universal showing. In the advertisements the class of film will be given for the intormation of parent.! and others. The president reported that at the request of the Trained Nurses’ Association she had recently attended a meet-' mg of the association, putting forward the aims and objects of the National Council, and the association had decided to affiliate with the council. The Mothers’ Thought Guild also wrote statuig they wished to affiliate with the council, and appointing Mrs Waghorn as delegate. Miss Chaplin, 8.A., gave an intcrest•ng address on “The State and the Child,” in which she .staled that the ■Mate cannot concern itself with anything more vital to its well-being than •nth the children. Unfortunately, the ducation of the young has, in the past, taken but a subordinate place in the •muds of politicians and oi tae puuiu: .one rally. .Short-sighted legislators uive not been able to sec money pourug into the Treasury as a result of odu .ition. They have looked upon it as i luxury which should bo curtailed as ouch as possible, lienee wo have suited from ill-equipped schools, crowd•d classrooms, inadequate staffs. There ;s too large a proportion in this county of children who are feeble-minded w otherwise degenerate. These children -o a largo extent have to he provided or by the State, andit is the State's luty to combat this evil which is bound -o have terrible consequences to oui ■■ace. According to 1918 statistics there were 4497 children under the control ol the State. Nearly three-quarters oi heso children were connected with Industrial _ Schools; 662 children were dealt with by the Courts, mostly lor uoral delinquencies—about 12 per cent )f whom were not under proper concrol; 381 in that year were committed to Industrial Schools, most of whoso parents were unlit mentally or morally, in 1918 860 infants were in foster homes. Miss Chaplin also spoke of the impoi tancc of the girls in the upper standards of the primary schools being under the control of a woman teacher, which in most instances was not the case. She urged all women to take a more activo_interest in the well-being of the school, in which the children spent so great a proportion of their time. In many cases the buildings were dirty and unhygienic and the sanitary conations often deplorable. Women’s field of influence on educational bodies was very small, only one woman in Now Zealand being on an Education Board. Women could wield a large influence on the school committees, and it was imperative to the well-being of the children that women should avail them•elves of their opportunities. At the close of her address Miss Chaplin was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. EVERY WOMAN HER OWN MILLINER. To combat high prices, make vonr own hats. Miss Rosina Price, ‘formerly of Paris, London and New York, will teach you the Millinery Art, Twelve lessons. Fee, one guinea. Address: 161, Hereford Street, o pn U.S.S. Co., first floor. Call for particulars; 1