International Council Notes.

White Ribbon, Volume 3, Issue 29, 1 November 1897, Page 5

International Council Notes.

The Executive Committee met at the Women’s Institute, London, on the Bth and 9th July, 1897. There were present : Countess of Aberdeen (chair), Frau Simson and Frau Bieher Boehm, Germany; Miss Windeyer, New South Wales; Miss Perrin and Mrs Cox, Canada; Miss Kramers, Holland (by invitation, without a vote) ; and Miss Wilson, the Corresponding Secretary. It was decided that the meetings of the session should be opened with silent prayer, and that the question of what method should be adopted permanently for opening the meetings be referred to the members of the Executive and the federated National Councils. It was decided that the next quinquennial meeting be deferred till 1899. A proposal to alter the quinquennial fee from £2O to £\o was negatived. It was resolved and carried that the quinquennial fee be paid in yearly instalments. It was also resolved and carried —“ That the amount of the quinquennial fee to be paid by the National Councils be placed on a proportional basis, which shall take into account either the numbers of local councils or societies affiliated to the National Council, or the size and population of the country in question, as the International Council may decide.” Notices of Motion to be Placed on the Agenda. I. “ That an International Bureau of Information concerning women's work, women’s position and progress in all countries, be formed under the auspices of the International Council.” 11. “ That the subject of furthering the question of International Arbitration be made the leading topic to be before the International Council at its quinquennial meeting in 1899;” and (III.) “That two papers on International Arbitration be prepared for the Council meeting as a basis of discus--1 sion.” IV. “ That the next quinquennial meeting of the International Council be held in Berlin.” V. Proposed by the National Council of Germany, and afterwards withdrawn for further consideration “ That the National Councils of all countries unite to effect the abrogation of those laws, still existing in all civilised countries, which invest the husband with the right of claiming obedience from his wife. ’ VI. “ That the Congress take united action, through the National Councils

of all countries, against licensed prostitution.” Proposed Subjects for Papers:— (a.) “The drawbacks of special labour legislation for women.” (b.) “ The final aim of the Women’s Question.” Lady Aberdeen, in a “ round-letter’ to the Councils in each country, asks that the Standing Orders should be noted which state that all notices of motion, amendments totheConstitution, and other suggestions, must be sent in fourteen months before the meeting, viz., by ist May, 1898. The Committee ot arrangements will be summoned to meet in June or July of next year (1898), so that the agenda for the quinquennial meeting as accepted by that Committee, may be sent to all the Federated Councils* for their consideration a year before the meeting. It is also requested that representatives from each Council shall attend that Committee with full instructions. Lady Aberdeen proceeds to point out that if the Council is to become a real living force, considerable self-sacrifice will be necessary on the part of representatives of the several Councils who will be called upon to leave home and incur expense and inconvenience from time to time. She expressed disappointment at the small attendance at the Executive in July, and says that, if the International Council is to do its work effectively, Federated Councils must be prepared to undertake to send representatives to the meetings, which take place periodically. She said she was convinced that the Council needed an office and a paid secretary, and that not less than a-year would be necessary. If a certain number of public spirited women in each country w’ou!d undertake to collect or subscribe a sufficient sum for this purpose she had great hopes that the International Council would prove a great factor in the work of women throughout the world, but without this she felt it would be an impossibility. She herself had paid all the secretary's expenses so far, but she did not think it was fair to her, nor good for the Council, that she should continue to do it. She would feel it incumbent on her to resign office next year unless some improvement is made in this direction.