LOCAL COUNCIL OF WAIAPU WOMEN.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 396, 22 April 1902, Page 3

LOCAL COUNCIL OF WAIAPU WOMEN.

Thk annual meeting of the Local Council cf Waiapu Women was held on Saturday afternoon, Mrs Beere in the chair. A letter from Mrs (Canon) Fox was read resigning the position of President. A resolution was unanimously passed expressing regret that Mrs Fox could not be nominated for re-election, and the secre- ! tary was directed to forward a eop3 thereof to Mrs Fox. Mrs Sievwright provisional secretary, responding to the Chairman's request for her first annual report, then said :—Before passing to the merely formal report of any small activities in which the local Council has engaged during the year, it may be well, especially as Mrs Fox is not able to be present, to recapitulate a few of the reasons that led up to its being organised in Waiapu. You already know something ol the idea of Internationalism, which during the later years of last century, began so strongly to affect the woman movement. In 1888 an International Council of Women was formed, which now numbers 15 members, i.e., atliliated countries of the world. These are represented in International Assembly by the Presidents (or their proxies) of National Councils ; and in the older, larger and more populated lands, National Councils again have a membership of Local Councils, i.e., federations of smaller societies of women, or of women and men, who wish to affiliate and who are willing to subscribe to the formula of Union of all for the good of all. Last year it was suggested that if a Local Council or even Committee of Women could be organized in each electorate of Now Zealand much could be dono in the way of interchange of thought, mutual help and the genera circulation of intelligence reaching headquarters from Australasia, Europe, and America. lam sorry to say that as yet Waiapu is the only electorate in which we have been able to accomplish this. Our, National Council needs an Organising Secretary, and this, of course, is only a question of funds. The International Council is organised on the one basis oi the application of the Golden Rule to society, custom, and law. Its first and, as yet, only propaganda, confirmed by the wholo Council in Executive Session at the London meeting of 1899, was that for Social Peace and International Arbitration. On this subject the President of the International thinks that the Council would be violating its fundamental purpose were it to attempt to judge between nation and nation, or to particularise offences, and to mete out the responsibility of the different nations ; but she believes, at the same time, that the present condition of war, far from stifling the protest against that condition, should be regarded by women as an argument for putting forth their most ardent endeavors to quicken the conscience of society and to instruct its intelligence upon this question of all questions—viz., international relations. Enough testimony from famous and victorious generals, and from equally famous and equally valiant conquered ones, has been given to the inevitable waste, economic and moral, incident to war. This testimony has been supported by voices of every national accent, in the tongues of every civilised people, and by great statesmen of all political parties. No statesman and no general living regards war as either a possible permanent condition or an ideal temporary one. Regarding it often as inevitable, they can but hail every effort to render it less inevitable by awakening public thought concerning its cost, directing public attention to its consequences, instructing the public intelligence and quickening the sentiment of human love among all the peoples of the earth. No National Council aftiiatmg with the international renders itself liable to be interfered with regarding its independence of aim or methods of work, but all are animated with the spirit of brotherhood and peace. As the health and efficiency of any organism necessarily depends on the more or less perfect functioning of each individual member, so the vigor and stability of the international must depend on the quality of its component parts. As New Zealand women we wish our Council to be a worthy member of the great whole, and in order to be so it must win the support of all who can either directly or indirectly spare time, thought or money in the cultivation of fairer and more wholesome social relations than presently obtain either hero or in other even less favored lauds. Our object then in forming this local Council is to strengthen the National Council by helping each other, and anyone else who invites us, towards anything and everything that makes for social and national righteousness. A number of members live in the country, and with them we wish to maintain in future closer intercourse by means of correspondence, newspapers, and books. To pass to what has been done during the year. A monthly meeting of executive has been held at the house of one or more of the members. Correspondence from Australasia, Europe, and America, some Bill before Parliament, or other matter of interest was then read and discussed. Occasionally resolutions were moved and forwarded re some legal or social question of importance. Generally, a score or more women are feeling themselves more and more fitted to give a reason for the hope that is in them that woman’s emancipation will bo one of the chief factors in the world’s emancipation from the “ death of sin,” which still has such a paralysing hold of us all. Not seldom matters are plainly discouraging. A sense of need, perhaps, helps us to appropriate the words of her who said — “ The inner side of every cloud Is bright and shining ; I thererefore turn my clouds about., And always wear them inside out To show their lining.” And so we hold on our way. Crumbs are thrown to us from time to time. Some day we shall attain the whole loaf, and our children will be the richer. I may add that a reading circle has been formed for the circulation of books and newspapers, bearing on social questions which have not yet' found place in any 1 local library ; and that any one who likes to apply, on payment of 2s 6d per annum, may join such circle or circles. After a very short discussion, Mrs Walker moved, and Mrs Sampson seconded, the adoption of the report. This being carried, the election of office-bearers for the coming year was proceeded with, and resulted as follows :—Mrs Sievwright, President; Miss Sampson, secretary and treasurer; Mrs Beero and Mrs Oakloy, Vice-Presidents, with six members of committee. —It was resolved to hold a meeting on the first Thursday of each month at the President's house, it being understood that members may at any time bring a friend or friends to such meetings whenever they so desire. The election of a delegate for the annual meeting of the National Council at Napier was next taken up. Miss Sampson (secretary) was appointed, and received general instructions as to how the meeting desired her to vote. This closed the business.