A NEW MOVEMENT WELL BEGUN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 112, 5 February 1919, Page 2

A NEW MOVEMENT WELL BEGUN

NATIONAL MOTHERS' HELP SOCIETY. A meeting with, the object of placing the above society on a business, basis was held in the office of the Wellington Women's National Reserve yesterday afternoon. The meeting was well attended by representative, women, and apologies for absence and messages of sympathy were received, from Mrs. Coleiridge. and -Mrs. Arthur Myers. The-chair was taken by Mrs. Alexander Gray, ■ who briefly explained the objects of the society. Its name, she said, 6noke for itself. The fact that, owing to the'dearth of domestic help, there were many mothers' of little children who had forgotten the meaning or leisure, was well known. On every blind there was tlio cry to keep the. cradles full, but little assistance was given to those mothers who dil so. And yet everyone knew that children—healthy, children—were the nation's greatest asset, and as'such had a claim upon everybody. In the course of her address Mrs. Gray pointed out that it was only suggested that people who could should give a part of their leisure to helping those mothers of little children who hiulnonc. The matter of uniform, might be left to. the discretion of actual members. To begin witii, the work might bo voluntaift but'it was hoped, that it might very soon bo put on athoroughly business footing. Int hotaso of ■ people who could pay for help payment would,be asked, but where no payment could be given help would be forthcoming just the same. The wotlc of the society would be far-reaching. Mrs. Porter, who. lias, given the raat(w much thought, suggested -that the room of the society might bo used as a rest, room for mothers 'who were doing lnisincss in town. It was felt that it would be nico to havo sich a room, whero u mother could rest and attend to her child without any suggestion of disturbing other people. Another to have a wardrobo in connection with (he work, for the help of such little ones as might need it. ■•■■■■'

Mrs. Hnrrod, a trained nurse wTio had come to livo in Wellington, said sho would be very! pleased to givo her professional services' at any .time and free, of charge to'anyone, who was'not in a position to pay tor them. A visitor to Wellington, shv. Vincent Howard ICitcat, wife, of the Vicar of Miirton, strongly approved of tlio movcmeiit. Sho.felt that what was urgently Heeded was someone to come after tho district nurse, and in cases where,there wtsi'o small children, to bo cared for 'whilst the mother was laid' up, someone to attend to. practical domestic duties which were outside tho scope of the nurse. She foujid in the course of her parish work that there were many cases where help was most urgently needed and could not bb had »t nny price. When slid went to England before tho o.utbreak of tho war f)lie, spent , part of her tune there in' .qualifying for a certificate in midwifery, so as to bo able to give jfracttea 1 help to urgent cases. The fact that she had often been called upon to do so spoke for itself. She pointed out. that, tho people needing help most urgently were middle-class people, who would nearly all be glad to pay-indeed, would not care to take anything for. which they could not pay. Mrs. Kitcat rna<l a letter which she liiid written to Tub Dominion about the matter, and which appeared some time ago. Mrs. Stewart (Wadestown) expressed tho opinion (hat the society could be n.ade a paying proposition from tne etart, and that it, should bo couductccl along the linos of the nurses' association. She agreed that the middle-class women were those who required help most 'urgently, and expressed tho opinion that there were numbers of women who would lwi'glnd to add to their incomes by doing such work. Mrs. Gill, on behalf of the Free Kindergarten Association, stated that all its members would bo glad to help in any way. They had expressed their willingness to give the use of a room in their building in Tara.nnki Street for meetinge, and when tho playground was ready—as it would bii sliprtly—they were willing to' allow numbers of the society when minding children to take them there. Mrs Porter proposed, and Mrs. Gorliss seconded, that those present enter their names «s members of tho society, and that a email executive be elected Inter to attend to the business details. Mrs. Alexander Gray said that any expense in the way of postage or advertising in the. meantime she would Uβ pleased to defray. , The meetin? was most enthusiastic, and nil present agreed that Mrs. dray in initiating it, had done something that would not 'only be appreciated in Wellington but throughout New Zealand.