WOMEN’S CONVENTION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1708, 26 March 1906, Page 2

WOMEN’S CONVENTION

(Per Press Association.) '• r ' Greymouth, Saturday. At the W.O.T.U. Convention this fore* noon the repoit of tho odueational meetiog waa road, alsp.tbe report on young people’s work, whioh showed that country branohts oonduot flourishing. Bands of Hope, aad two unions looal temperanoe legions. A □amber of unions are enrolling infants in cradles. The literature department showed that muob aotivity had been expended in that direction. Discussion took place upon the Bubj-ct of. dress reform. Superintendents - of departments were appointed as follows : Evangelistic, Mrs Kirk'and, Dunedin ; home meetings, Mrs Crump, Nelson ; purity, Mrs Webb, Or* mondville; educational meeting, Mis Powell, Wanganui; Sabbath observance, Miss Minobin, Feilding; woik among young people, Mrs Spence, Auokland; modal oontests, M-s Evans, Napier ; scientific temperanoe instruction, Miss Maun* de l- , Hawera; hygiene, Mte Oldham, Napier; influencing the press, Miss McCarthy, Waimsto {mothers’ meetings, Mrs Darling, Rsngiora. La er.—At . the Women’s Christian Temperance Convention this afternoon, the election of superintendents of departments war continued os follows : Bible in schools, Mrs Dewar, Auckland ; narcotic?, Miss Webb, Ormondvilie; work among seameo, Mrs Whitby. Lyttelton ; literature, Mrs Hughes, Auokland; aoti-gambling, Mrs McAlister, Invercargill; legal and parliamentary, Mrs Sheppard, Christchurob ; unfermented wine, Mrs Parkinson, Greymouth. Resolutions were passed expressing thanks to Almighty God for the advance of the oolon'al no-licenso vote from 3000 to IS,OOO ; deploring the fact that so many good mea and women voted for the con* tinuanoe of tbe drink, traffic; urging all braoohes to take up a pledge in making a crusade among men and women ; urging women to set character before polities in tbe ohoioo of candidates for publio offioes. The report of tbe legal aod parliamentary department being real and adopted, tbe following resolutions were passed: Affirming the ecoeomio position of husband and wife, aud the desirability of tbe legal reooguitiou of the same ; urging that scientific temperance instruction be included in the examinations for teachers’ certificates, and made a compulsory class subjeot in our sohools ; urging that all sex distinctions enforced in the Factory Act be abolished, these being prejudicial to the economic interests of equality of womon; that parents should be obliged te contribute to the support of their illegitimate children, and that failing the ability of ; the parents the State should provide for such children ; that, paternity being proved, these chil 'dren should be registered in th 9 name of the father, and possess an equal status with those born in wedlock; that a woman should be appointed as a publio officer to discover the parentage of sugh ohildren wherever possible, with a view to providing for their maintenauoe ; affirming the principle of equal pay for equal work both for mea and women. The question of the W.O.T.U. exhibit at tbe international exhibition to be held in Christohuroh was disouased, Greetings were received from the Blen« heim Union and from Mrs Cole, president of the Christohuroh District Union. . It was deoidsd to accept the invitation of Christohuroh for the Convention to meet there in 1907.