Chair of Midwifery

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11124, 6 February 1930, Page 2

Chair of Midwifery

DO.MI.MON ‘WOMEN'S CAMPAIGN. GISBORNE.- EXECUTIVE FORMED Further steps in connection with Gisborne’s share in the organised effort by New Zealand women to raise a fund tor tile appointment of a-chair of midwifery at .Otago University wete taken at . a largely- attended and enthusiastic meeting-on Tuesday afternoon. In tho absence of the interim president, Mrs. D. 'V. Coleman. Mrs. Walker was voted to tlio chair. After briefly outlining the objects of the campaign, Mrs. 'Walker read the appeal which was as follows: “Oilier parts of our Empire—m a national effort to reduce the maternal death rate and the loss of infants—are establishing midwifery hospitals, with resident students, in connection with medical schools: New Zealand lias no such hospital. Private generosity in the Dominion has enriched every branch of medical training except that concerned with safeguarding . women risking their lives to enrich the Empire with new citizens, Sydney and. Melbourne pay £2OOO a year to obstetrical professors. For 20 years New Zealand has been .paying. £2OO a year, winch lately has been increased "by a Government subsidy of £700.. Now the Government is Jo. spend £50,000 on an up-to-date midwifery hospital. This includ.es no provision fur teaching salaries, hut the liospiJal will bo useless without a good head. The present professor will he superannuated in a few months. In •'July; 1930; the university- must atlVertise for ‘llls successor. The sum ■of £25.000 is to. bo raised by New Zealand women—a non-recurring expense. It will have a Government ’subsidy, he invested, and the interest will provide a salary equal to that- offered in Australian States. The sum asked for is only onetwentieth of what New Zealand people, have raised for Plunket work, and .only oiie-tcntli of the Government subsidy to Plunket funds.

Miss .A. L. Rees, interim secretary. reported that, acting on instructions from tlio meeting addressed by Dr. Doris Gordon’, she had notified some 160 representatives of societies that they were; entitled to act on the main committee, and invited them to be present that day. Thanks to generous offers of free typing, free printing, and a donation of stamps and envelopes, this work had cost nothing but time. She asked that errors and omissions might he overlooked. ‘As the task shiT had undertaken was nbw completed she was -retiring from tho position of secretary, but her sympathy in the movement was strong, and sho was prepared to work for it from the background. A hearty vote of thanks was given Miss Rees for the trouble- she had taken. : -.!■ , . Hie regulations governing (lie appeal were then adopted,, bringing Vuverty Bay into line with other districts.; ■ Officers were then deeded as loi- ■ loirs: President, Mrs, J, Blair;, vicepresidents, Mesdamas. F. Kahlen■berg ■ and i C’otterill ; hon. sec., Mrs. Ewart Brown (Mrs. Pufiett to act pending Mrs. Brown’s return to Gis-. borne); lion, treasurer, Mrs. Cutli-, bert;. executive committee (with power to add), Mesdames..iE-.;iN. Sidebottom L. T. Bernard, N. H. Bull, •\Y. A. Smith, H. L’neke, W. Gambrill, I: J. Quigley. ; N. Hooper,- S. Hutchinson, v. Blaeklnirn and ?<lisses - Rees, Benjamin, Higginson ana Clarice. ■■■■■■■■'+ • ?_ ■ Attention-Was-drawn to an adyertiseraenl by Mrs. , Lowry appealing to Gisborne womeil to swell the Wellingtou collection. Puilett was instructed to write to Mrs. Lowry; pointing out that Poverty, Bay is in : the, Auckland provincial district: that aii, executive has now. been set up here; and tliat the local treasurer has to remit subscriptions to the executive in Auckland.

Lady Robertson, Auckland president, having asked for the boundaries of the district which the local executive will w'ork— so that it’ may not overlap with the Hamilton sub-centre—-a' 'map was referred to and the limits defined. Then followed an informal, discussion of the best way to reach-the country districts 1 , and- of the plan of campaign. General satisfaction "was expressed that a definite step forward; had been laken, .and especially that a treasurer had been appointed to'whom cheques- may he sefit. The general tone of the meeting-was that on a matter so important—-touching evk oryono so closely—small prejudices: or• differences of opinion should not he allowed to hinder- the hearty co? operation ,of the women of Poverty Bay in their united onslaught on men's pockets. , ..' ; d . . "A hearty vole of J hanks was pussf ed to the committee of the Women’s Club for the free use of the large roo.m.