WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1699, 15 March 1913, Page 5

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

WOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFE.' At the conclusion of the. meeting.of tho Women's Political Heform League on tfriday afternoon' the usual questions wore invited by Mrs. J. P. Campbell, who presided, states tho Auckland "Herald." A lady visitor from England, who is at present staying in Auckland, immediately anil dumauded to know what the Women's Political Heform League doing, and what good it was accomplish-_ iug in so far as the well-being of' Zealand women was concerned. ; . m "1 have, made many inquiries here, slio announced, "and can hear of no cases in which of this Dominion are concerning themselves in even local government. Have you such a thing as a woman sanitary inspector in the whole of New Zealand? Have you a woman on any single hospital board? Or is there a woman who sits on one of your education boards? "The Auckland City CounciL con tinued tho visitor,'"is without a woman member. It seems to me that New Zealand women, who are looked upon as being so lucky by their English sisters make very little use of their opportunities. Again I ask, what is your league doing to encourage the much-needed entry of women into the public life of New Zealand ?" , . In reply,' Mrs; Campbell .said that thft Auckland Women's Political Heform League was as yet only in its infancy. Since its inauguration six months ago the main idea of the executive had been, to increase the membership, and the problems mentioned by the questioner had not yet been given much thought. In the first place, however, tho league was political, and the object for which it had been formed was to support the present Administration. "• • . Subsequently there was some w-arin discussion over a clause in the president s report. The. clause read as follows:— As to the women who are fighting'for the vote in England, we can. surely believe that those who are at-the head of'affairs are quite capable of- deciding the advisability of granting such a concession or otherwise,'so we can simply express our ; regret that there are those of our sex who have forgotten their womanhood and their duty as British subjects/ Ihe question debated was whether the execu,tivo were' within their province in embodying personal opinion ofother women s leagues in their teport.