WOMEN'S NATIONAL RESERVE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 143, 6 March 1918, Page 3

WOMEN'S NATIONAL RESERVE

HON. G; W. RUSSELL AND RESERVE WORK

A meeting of the Women's National Reserve was held, in the C'onoert Chamber of the Town Hall Inst evening for the purpose of discussing various matters that have arisen in connection with that organisation since it has become an incorporated body. Among those who were present ■ were the Hon. G. W. Russell, Dr. PlattsMills (president), Mrs. Russell, Mrs. Porter (organising secretary), Mrs. Corliss, Mrs. Hall-Thompson, Mrs. liodeh, and representatives of tlie .various, branches of the society in Wellington and its suburbs. The presentation of the balance-sheet was made by Dr. Platts-Mills, who explained that owing to unforeseen, circumstances they had not been Me to present it at the annual meeting, held early in December. Since then the reserve had become an incorporated society,' and its status altered. Instead of covering a period of twelve months the balance-sheet now covered soventeeri months. The receipts showed among the principal items, a balance brought forward of £79 6s. lid.; subscriptions. £138 11s. !)d. j badge account (members), £14 25.; and a Macaxthy Trust educational grant of £50. The total receipts amounted to £282 ss. lid. On the expenditure side was a total of £195 12s. Id., leaving a balance of £86 13s. 10d. Dr. Platts-Mills added that ithe reservehad to thank Mr. W. 0. Stephens for auditing their accounts. He had taken great ..trouble, and they were all deeply grateful to him. .. The balance-sheet was duly passed by the meeting. The Hon. G. W. Russell, who was asked to address the gathering, con- J gratulated the reserve upon its good record of work. They had not needed a great deal of money, and he did not think they had been prevented from j undertaking any useful work through want of funds. That was the supreme test or orgawsation, lie considered. In New Zealand the possibilities of women's war . work . had 'not

been exploited as they might have heen. When it was realised

in how niany ways tho women of Great Britain wore assisting to keep the flag flying, and when they compared those ways with what women were doing in this country, women who were just as eager to work as were the women of Great Britain, he could only reiterate the statement that women's possibilities for war work were not being utilised as they might be. He did not want.to criticise, but he could not help thinking that if a couibiug-out process were instituted in some of the Government Departments more men would be obtainable and their work could well be undertaken by women. In his opinion there were still many men, young, single, and. able to go to the front who were being held in this country at the present time. They should most certainly be sent before the married men were called upon to take up arms.

Other branches of the work of tho reserve other than its training for clerical work were touched upon by the Minister, the mothers' reunions for one, which he believed were doing excellent work in bringing sympathy and companionship to mothers who had lost their sons or were passing through great suspense and anxiety. In one or' two places this work had beenVarried a littlo further than in Wellington, the wives being brought into a sympathetic bond of fellowship. He would like •to see sisters and sweethearts broughtinto it as well. The mothers' badges were an excellent'idea, he, considered. Tho Minister went on to say that an' application had been received a little while ago from the Women's National Reserve to 'be incorporated as war funds. So far the Government had recognised the good work of the society by giving them free postage, and rent of a room and a telephone. In ordinary circumstances when recognised us war funds the_ reserve would have had to stand upon its own feet entirely, but in this instance such procedure had been waived for six months at least, so far as the Government were concerned, and might be after that if the reserve still continued to do good work. Tho new status of the reserve (since it had been gazetted as war funds was explained by ll\. Russell, and in conclusion he emphasised the fact that all funds which were raised for war purposes were Jiot permanent funds, were not meant, to be hoarded up for an indefinite time, and every penny had to show that it was used, lor some , useful purpose in connection with war needs. :

In proposing a vote of thanks to tho Minister for his address, Dr. PlattsMills stressed the efforts that had been made by the reserve to obtain positions, clerical or otherwise, for its trained members, and the way in which it had been thrown back upon itself time after time, and told that the time for employing women's labour in such ways had not yet come.

In the earlier part of the evening songs were sung by Miss Dormer, Miss Marjorie Jones, and Mr. Goudie. Supper (the arrangements for which were in the hands of the executive committee), concluded the evening's operations.