Wanganui Chronicle. AND PAREA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1891.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 11236, 7 April 1891, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle. AND PAREA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1891.

A " G-rkat Council of Women " was held in Washington, United States, in February last. The occasion was the holding of the first session of the Women's National Convention. A great opera house was filled in every part Toy a highly enthusiastic audience, composed largely- of representative -\voinen from all parts of the States. The feature of the opening session was an address by the President, Miss Francis G-. Willard, which, apart from its eloquence, was of especial interest, because of the information it conveyed as to the progress of the "woman question" in America. Contrasting the advance made in recent with previous years, Miss Willard said that the last triennial period had produced _ greater results than the previous decade. Of the general advance of the woman's cause, she said: —

" Consider the fact that more than eighty-two per cent, of all our pnblic school teachers are women : that over two hundred colleges have now over four thousand women students ; that industrial schools for girls are being founded in almost every State ; that hardly a score of colleges in all the nation still exclude us, and that these begin to' look sheepish and speak in tones apologetic. Eeflect that we are admitted to the theological seminaries of the Methodist, Congregational and Uniyersalist churches, to say nothing of half a dozen ecclesiastical communions ; that the Free Baptist and several other churches now welcome women delegates to their highest councils, while we vote in the local. assembly of almost every church in Christendom, except the Catholic ; and that, while some of us were rejected as delegates by the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1888, that body | submitted 'the question to a vote of two million Methodists and sixtytwo per cent, of those "present and voting ' declared in favour of complete equality within the ' household of faith." Miss "VVillard next passed in review the great philanthropicreligious and temperance agencies throughout America founded and carried on solely by women. " Marshal," she said, " in blessed array the King's Daughters, two hundred thousand strong, with their hallowed motto, 'In His Name;' the Society of Christian Endeavour, (seven hundred and fifty thousand) with its immense contingent of women ; reflect that a woman spoke before the

Catholic Total Abstinence Society at its late meeting, in presence of distinguished.prelates of thatchurch, which, while beyond most others utilizing the money, devotion,' and work of women, is most conservative of all when their public efforts are concerned."

The women of the Convention, in the papers they read and speeches they delivered, showed a thorough grasp of the subjects of which they treated, a mastery of facts, and a keen insight into human nature. The Rev. Anna Spencer, in a paper on " The control and social care of dependent classes," recommended the establishment of an institution ,that should combine .the features of a prison, a manual workshop, and a medical hospital. A Mrs Fanny Ames contributed a paper on ," The care of dependent children." ' Mrs Ames was for many years the President of the Children's Aid Society of Philadelphia, and spoke from practical knowledge of the subject.^ , v She observed that the success of chanty, is often guaged by the number of dependent persons who are cared ■for. To this she replied that the tiniest charity is to remove the causes of pauperdom and crime. "A charitable institution,", said Mrs. Ames, " to show the highest success should be empty." A Mrs Tapper (the' Rev. Frances Tupper 1 ) ' took ; as her subject, " Woman's status tin the Church to-day," and in the course of her remarks informed the Convention' that there are now 720 women in America who have been regularly ordained as Ministers of the Gospel. Florence Balgarine, an. English delegate at the Convention, said she was the bearer of congratulations ; and prayers .to their sisters in Americafrom societies representing ninety thousand English women, who were watching with the greatest interest the emancipation of women in the United States.

The Premier has been sharply taken to task by several journals — and by journals not unfriendly to the Government — because of his unguarded and injudicious ntterances at New Plymouth, on the subject of the Breakwater The Post,for instance, says that " he must have completely lost his head." If he knew anything .about the subject, says our contemporary, he. 'should have held his tongue, for truth's sake • and if he knew nothing, he should have been silent, if only to conceal his ignorance. "No doubt Mr Ballance meant kindly, and desired to make thingß -pleasant, but it was really cruel of ' him to flatter false hopes, and to encourage his hearers to spend iaqve money in a useless contest with the f ox'ces of nature-" "Mr Ballance's words will probably rise up in judgment against him hereafter, when the question of the New Plymouth Hai'bour and what is to be done with the liabilities of its Board, comes up for discussion in Parliament, and he as Premier and Treasurer has to take up a position of responsibility in the matter-"