BRITISH DOMINIONS WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE UNION.

White Ribbon, Volume 24, Issue 284, 18 February 1919, Page 2

BRITISH DOMINIONS WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE UNION.

Deal Mrs Don a net White Ribbon Sister*, The Third (biennial) Conference of the British Dominions' Woman’s Suffrage I’nion wa* held in the Caxton Hall, Westminster, on tin--4111, sth, and 6th of June. 'The subjects dealt with were of wide interest and of practical importance, and al most all the opening addresses were given by those who had made long studv of their subjet t, and could speak with tin* authority of deep think mg and many years of experience. Miss Newcomb, the main organiser of the Conference, is to be congratulated on the umpialitied success of the meetings. A letter from Miss H n tiers l an, with my credentials as delegate for the N.Z. W.C.TIC., arrived the very morning that Conference opened. tSc'* what it is to have a really punctual Corresponding Secretary.) I was proud to *‘enr« sent such a I nion as ours, and such a country as New Zealand. I wish to thank ydu, Mrs Don. Miss Henderson, and those of \ou who had any part in bestowing this honour upon me. The meetings were well attended, the subjects ably discussed. Enfortunately, owing to difficulties of travelling under war conditions, all tin* Dominions wen* not able to send delegates; also much of the correspondence dealing with resolutions, etc., was lost owing to “enemy activity.” Nevertheless, all the affiliated Societies will later on receive a full report of the deliberations and conclusions come to by the overseas delegates fortunate enough to h* present. I hope it will always !>• possible for our I’nion to be re presented at these Biennial Meeting**, and more than ever now in the com ing years the voice of the women must he heard as it never has been in the past. We are all part of one mighty Kmpire, which is now fighting for h°r very existence and that of the small n *tions, as well as for the Liberty of the World. When Peace and Reconstruction come women will have an immeasurably wider field for th ir activities than in the old pre-wai days. We women of New Zealand and other overseas parts of the F.mpire, blessed for many vears with a larger freedom than they possess in the Home l and, owe a duty to the British women ns far as our oppor •unities and tower period to help them in their after war effort* f .. Hi

be tterment of th“ world conditions. To keep in close touch with the B.D.W.S. IJ. headquarters and t< relieve Mi ss Newcomb of considerable Work, it would be very desirable to have a sp"< tal Corresponding Secretary in eat h Dominion, to whom Miss Newcomb could write, and who would end“rt.ikf tin* necessary coirespond cute with the* affiliated societies in the Dominion she represents. Time and paper art* very limited in the Old Country, so as the report will he print t l as soon a* po*sible, I shall not dca’ v'iih tlit* rm* tings as a whole, hut with apologies for appearing egotistic, will deal only with the share your representative was privileged to take. I had attended as many of tic* committee meetings as I could. I was asked to it* id extracts from our “W hite Ribbon” article, “The Maiden Tribute to the Modern Mar**,” in moving tlk* following resolution: “The Conferm e condemns as lowering to the moral standard and a* an unwarrantable insult to the great majority of men, tlu* practice < f regularly sup plying prophylactics to soldiers on leave, and urges that all measures for -lemming the progress of venereal disease should be based on the belief in the nobler side of human nature, and that all necessary instruction to the men should he accompanied by an af peal to the sense of duty, patriotism, and chivalry which exists even in the weakest.” Mrs Wald* grave (Wellington) seconded. An amendment was moved by an Australian delegate*. \s it meant entirely shelving our protest, it was fortunately thrown out by an overwhelming n.ajoritv only four veiling for it. lit moving tli'* resolution I took the* old but to u* unanswerahl > argument that what was morally wrong must be physically wrong, and that to remove the consequences of sin was to encourage the wrong doer to continue his wrong doing to place great temptation m the way of the* w°ak by giving sane ton of authority to the breaking of one of God’s holy commandments. M> small efforts were magnificently supported by Dr. Jane Walker and Dr. Beadou Turner (Chairman of the British Medical A* s relation), in speaking or. “Is it rcas »nable to expect fioni men the same moral standard as from women.” 'They spoke with no uncertain voice. Dr. B. Turner’s address was inspir ing, and must carry conviction to the 1110*1 ignorant or sceptical hearer or

reader, for as it is to be prohibited, it should be widely distributed by our I’nion and .ill Societies who have the* welfare of our boys at heart. (Some extrac ts from this address were published in la*t month’s “White* Ribbon.” Ed. “W.R.”) Each session we had a change in ill- chair. Miss Newcomb asked me to preside one after 'noon, and late r oil I had the* opportunity of moving a res ilutioii against supplying our boys j with chink. There* was no other dealing with the subject of alcohol, and I feit, as your representative, it

was incumbent on me to ‘show our colouts. I w.is proud to l>“ able to pay a tribute to the mothers of New /(‘aland, who, with ungrudging selfsacrifice, have given their men. As

to our boys, they need no praise over

here front one of their country. Ora hears nothing hut good of them, not merely as soldiers of courage, "kill, and endurance, hut a* a body ot men thc-ir character ranks as high, if not Irgher', than any other set of nun who go to make up the British \rmy When I spok** of tin* dangers of drink

to the young rec ruit and the efforts c.f our women to protect our hoys from it by insisting on dry canteens and *i\ o’c lock closing, and that I did not think the* authorities in the Old Country had “played the game” with t!>•* Dominions in not supplementing their efforts, th“ applause was vc*ry hearty. The resolution, to my great surprise . nd immense satisfaction, was carried, tlv Chair said unanimously, though I believe one h.md was said to hav* I) **n raised against it. \n address I enjoyed v r ry keenly was one on \\ mien Bolin* hv Mi-s Darner Daw

•1, O R E., commandant of flu W E.S. Dressed in dark blue uniform, long coat to the knee meeting high gaiters, with official cap, looked the verv embodiment of

c ipated womanhood, kern, capal , an organiser, and a leader entirely lack ing in self consciousness, and yet aware of her own powers, and fully determined to use them all for the good of her country and her sex. All she- *aid was intensely interesting, and one* would gladlv have listened to her for a nuch longer time. You "ill »ee tlr* rep vi of it hit- r, hut I will iu*t mention 01 .me point which appealed to he parti. ularly as typical of what we hope and third \ ill follow the entrance of women into the* larger responsibilities and duties of civic I f° Th»* great work of the women

po)ice was not catching a criminal it was preventing the young, especially the girls, from becoming criminals. At the close of the Conference. as no one else rose to do it, I felt it would be ungracious and un gr.it°ful not to pay some tribute to the one who had been the head and the heart of this world-wide organisation of women. I regret that l was not in any way prepared for the honour which 1 took upon myself at the last moment, for Miss Newcomb dc- r, rved very much more than what I was able to express in the* few hurried sentences 1 succeeded in putting together. It is impossible to overestimate her enthusiasm, her unselti-h ness, her tact, her single-eyed devotion to the work -he has undertaken. |.ong may she lie spared to continue the scheme for the amalgamation of the It itish women’s societies, that she has - » nobly and so successfully started. Miss Hodge also deserves A our thanks and gratitude, for she dell votes her time and money and great ability to th“ same cause. KI TH ATKINSON