MRS. COMMISSIONER HAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 736, 8 February 1910, Page 3

MRS. COMMISSIONER HAY.

HER SUNDVY ADDRESS. .- The " account,'.of-;M,rs.; ;Hay's i, work an London, where. she',Was,;at ;the:head of the 'iSaivation-.-'Afhiy,: slum work;- and commanded seventy.vwdm^n..officers,- had created' a "great deal' of ; :intprest 'in /Mrs. 'Hay- herself, apart,from: the fact that she sioner, ' and; the; Opera 1 ' House crowded on- Sunday afternoon; - when' she gave 'an address onihei; experiences in' the slums; Mrs.':' Hay :is a'.Jittle' lady-^one.-'of, those little. ,people born'to ■ command—and '■ as one -listens <to:- her : one';-cannot for.; a moinont doubt that 'where.:'she : dbes;; coin-' .inand -her'.nvord; is;;law; The 'story' that, she,told>on Sunday ,ivas' a;:grim; one,' - a story:' of ' blighting ;• tragedy" almost -nnre-'-,lieved/by,aay'..gleam -.of'humour,^though 1 ;Mr's';;, Hay;,'insists 'tlb';-.it .:is -these' occasional •• gleams' which ' make the -: tragedy bearable.' •' >'•■■■,

PEemembeied ; afterwards, /someof the stories'sfeaib' almost, too..'dreadful to be ■ told;' and; y«st' they had not;sounded' quite .firm cl&'fvoice, vtrith '■ her'/fcom'mbn-sense description.; of how" the''lasses ha'd 1 'tried to/'dlleviate' the''misery. had ;:dis<»v- ---• sred.;":.-'Onef felt: that - nothing. fshe' 'could; Mco'unter.'iwbnl'l- shock' Mrs/ 'Hay.' so much as':to"fleave '.her .incapable■'.of- rendering aid. /• .Pitiful is; but one. thinks slje is' even': more .efficient. ;• Those tales ;coul<i , not; have'.been? told; by/a:woman'..in-, tlie least'inclined'.;to : /hysteria, ; or to. a,: pity' ;that/runs, away' with./..reasbni; J!biit', ..the. more. terrible ; the' ; instances■' /'quoted the/more was'- one impressed': ' with , f Her ■sanity.'. // ;v''.// ;./•■ /' 'has, the ::dramatic jhstinct, .s.tories ;.she. "illusTrated/ithem .■fith/appropriate^action. ' -X~ '' ' •rltVwas-a'-story of'' heroism;' as/m'uch-'as" 'bf,;tragedy—the-heroism of those seventy officers' and; their 'workers; -wbo/iiotionly. penetrate' into the . most /dangerous parte of the.slums, but face unpleasantnesses in. ; the . dirt/and ; disease'; that /tKey.-'have :to treat,; iwhiph- would/be dreaded- by! many women; more: : than • physical ' danger.'. '. .They must be;, efficient"-women'; "no.' in-, competence, however/kind-hearted, vcoiild be tolerated. in' their ranks, for/they have to deal with tho issues of life and-death; : The ;slum worker must ihave'many,' qualisaid;Mrs.,Hay; bo a sin-, ger,-a teacher,'-a'doctbrshe ; mUst .know. . now'; to'! feed,and. clothe those who are, in need,/and she -must, be a judge,, often , acting . as ;a. whole, jury. t00.;./And-: she I'm'ust •be .a :woma&. '/They .heivetried ! , sending : .brothers;Mnto.\therslums,'-?but'vthey.' were not;,qnalin^;.^' : patients,' and : th'e isister'-.-foUdwing'; on: would prob- : 'fihd: .that: 7 the brother .' had':put '.the. poultice on/the WTong, place. ; ' ;'/ : i-The/slums, .were caused'liy/three .thing's,' said .Mrs.' vice,-and : .the greed ,of. jlandlbfds",;..and;.; she ..added;-'";'?'!!--'you 'c6uldJ6%.^'^e;thffigs i, 'fliat..''wi?';-liaT6* seen,; which/have been the; ..■result-:'of : drink,/. you-wou|d' makeevery;town' : in. New i.Zealand the. next. election." 7