THE W.C.T.U. CONVENTION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 144, 13 March 1920, Page 4

THE W.C.T.U. CONVENTION

YESTERDAY'S DELIBERATIONS. The W.C.T.U. Convention was eon- i inued yesterday in tho Wesley Hall, Varanaki Street, Mrs. Crabbe again lireMrs. Atkinson moved that a vote of hanks and appreciation be accorded to :he acting-president for her most awe md interesting address the previous daj. j Phis was seconded by Mrs. \\. iiivans, | md massed with enthusiasm Greetings were received from the leimne. Pahiatua, Wanganui East, 'hristchurch. Richmond, Oxford, nnd I other unions, also from Mrs. .Bendlev (Dominion treasurer) who was un)blo to be present through 11.-health. J Financial Matters. j The treasurer's report read by Mrs. | t'ervman. stated that for tho period end- j Ed February 18. 1920 (barely eleven ! months) tho receipts from all sources came to .£916 15s. Gil., and the expenditure amounted to .£B9B 10s. 9d. .'he Deriod closed with a credit balance of £142 4s. 5(1. in the New* Zealand fund, find £605 14-s Bd. in the organising fund. Comparison with tho figures of the previous vfrir sliowsd a Blight tailing ori in capitation fees. A number of tho smaller branches had failed to send in |j returns. There was also a noticeable < falling: off in.the returns from the "Y ( branches. The report referred to the j difficulties of country branches m maintaining their organisation where members were scattered, and it was suggested j that conntrv branches would be helped and 'enabled to carry on their work better if the district unions find larger branches could systematically visit or . ka»n in touch with them. An increase of the total receipts for tho World's Missionary Fund was shown, due mainly to a vbt> filift donation from the liiu- ; raiisii Union. Including this, however, the total was, contributed by only ten unions from the whole of the Dominion. The total receipts from donations had been large. The 91 unions that furnished balance-sheets commenced the year with an aggregate credit balance of .£932 45 lid.: receipts wore ,£2571 K's. 'id., and expenditure J8435 os. (id., and they closed the vear with a credit balance of .CIC6B 17s. lid. No returns were received from a number of unions, and several were ronorted as dormant. Tn reiard to "Y" branches, the report stated that these suffered from having nc verv definite plan'of work, and it was suggested that tliey might auept responsibility for some special lirnnoh of effort. A more active interest showh in their work would help the "Y'.s" though leaving them full control mid management of their own affairs. \ considerable amount of discussion Wowed the reading of, the balanceohoet. after which it. was formally put to the meetimr and carried. ■ t The ooportunity was taken during Hie morninu's session of receiving donations ( to the New Zealand fund. Departmental Reports, The next business was tho presentation of departmental reports. .Mrs. Walker (superintendent for the Maori Department) had the previous day .presented hers, .two of the Maori Gpealcins upon the wr.rk. Yesterday mornine tilt cradle roll (with Mrs. Claia M. Neal as superintendent), the Loya* Tomperance Legion, and the scientmc temperance instruction reports (Miss Hclver) wore taken at the same time, as they all bore upon .a subject in which the convention was deeply interested-thaiof scientific temperance instruction being iriven to children, and influencing them in that direction from their earliest days, [t was regarded by tho convention as absolutely necessary that instruction* or this kind should be given,; and all till avenues through which it might pie done were discussed. , ■ Miss ITelver-brought forward-the !0,iowing suggestion:—"That a deputation appointed by the convention sliou d wait mion the Minister of Education, to urge that scientific instruction bo made comoiilsojv in the curriculiim." Miss Jleiver pointed out that some thousands of men and. women would be _ coming here from overseas in a short, time, and not nil of them would be sympathetic to the temperance cause.. She strongly urged thatrthev should ijet to work at oncc to have this scientific teaching made comuulsorv in tho schools. . What was wanted was t.lmt it should .be made a compulsory subject for examination. The discussion was continued, fit the afternoon session. Among the.- su BK cs- | fions made were that deputations be organised to wait upon tin-. Minister or Education; that tho co-operation of as many orsranisations as possible be secured. including all humanitarian and temperance societies, in taking this matter up: and that resolutions and, letters M'ginir the furtherance of this work be iWwardeil to the Minister of Education, to all sympathetic Ministers of tho Cab- . inet. to the Education Council,-.and all educational authorities. It wa.v decided al'o to arrange a dato upon which all the telegrams and letters should be sent tn the Minister of Education. Ail unions are to be supplied with a list ot tho bodies to Ire approached for assistance and co-operation. It was also decided that it bo left to the officers of union to arrange A deputation to III) Minister, the secretary to notify tho unions of a suitable date. The reports presented by Mrs. Neal reirardine the cradle roll, the L.'l.L., and tho Band of Mercy were tho subject of much discussion, ns.tliis matter of teachins the children the evils of- alcohol was rorarded as being very important. ■ It was considered that the Band of Hope movement would b* the better lor more stimulation as so much could lie (tone through its agency, and _ after various surest ions hud Jwcn received a motion was naesed that the convention should send out circulars to superintendents ot Sunday schools, -asking them to interest themselves in the formation of Lands of Hone.- Another motion, brought ior\\nr« hv Henderson and ndop.cdby. the convention was:-"That the ninons be asked to net into touch with the Sunday school s line ri n ten del its in their distnc.H, and ascertain what can be done to make temperance lessons in the Sunday sehoids more effective, and that they slioub bo asked to provide' where ■ possible u sneaker." , , , ■ Otlier departmental reports received and adopted were lbe_ cal temnerance department (Mi;.. jNeal). education bureau (Mrs. Weston), work anions tho seamen (Mrs. Ninimo). Iho lost-named was regarded as a very important report, and on< \ tlln t verv fine recoid of work. Bofoie piesenting the report Mrs. Nimmo eaid tliH.t in goods and money an amount of .-EMO had been raised for the provision of com, forts For- the sailors by the efloits of the WCT'J- and several letters o{ appreciation from sailors and oitmiisahons "wking for the benefit of saiters were read Other departmental reports were on prison and reformatory work (<vj>ter Moodv-Bell) and literature lem) some discussion ensuing regarding the cost of this last. •