COUNCIL OF WOMEN

Hokitika Guardian, 3 October 1932, Page 2

COUNCIL OF WOMEN

INTER NATIONAiL CONGRESS. ___ .1 SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT. LONDON, August 19. The International Council of Women was represented at the International Scientific Management Congress m Amsterdam by two of its members, Miss C. Hlaslet-t, C.8.E., (who is also director of the Electrical Association for Women),' and Miss Randle,’ lion, secretary of the Household Council of Women of Great Britain, who contributed a. paper in .film section of “Scientific .Management of the Household,” whoch had been prepared by a small committee of exports (chiefly members of the N.C.W.) ,and the two representatives took part in the discussions in Amsterdam arising out of this and the papers contributed by America, France, Germany, Holland, and Switzerland. Miss Baslett and .Miss Randle will give a report of the proceedings to the annual meeting of the National Co.uncil of Women, in Norwich in October, aiid this i§_ awaited with great interest as marking a new step forward in scientific progress in housewifery. For more than three years the N.C. W„ through its Household Service Sectional Committee, has been forwarding the ’cause of domestic work as an honourable and interacting 'career for both hounefife— and servant, and has recently formed a research sub-com-mittee to carry out investigations on matters such as wore debated at Amsterdam. The nucleus of this subcommittee is formed by the experts who prepared the paper contributed to the congress by Great Britain as follows -Miss Rose 'Squire, the chairman of the ‘Household Service Committee; Miss C. Baslett, C.8.E., director of the Electrical Association for Women; Mrs Raphel, National Institute of Psychology ; Miss Margaret Jones, L.C.CI Educational Department, Domestic Economics; Miss H. Reynard, Warden, King’s College Household and Social Science Department; Mrs Cottington Taylor. Director, Good Housekeeping Institute, Mrs C l . S. Peel, 0.8. E., Writer on Domestic Subjects; Mrs Ethel M. Wood, C.8.E., secretary, Scientific Management Committee, Miss Pratt, Ministry of Agriculture (advisory member). „ The subjects to be studied include the. Manning of the house (particularly kitchen, larder etc) and of household utensils and appliances and the expenditure of money, time, and: energy m running the home. The range of these matters is great—the papers read and discussed at Amsterdam touch on the work of the architect and builder, the engineer and plumber, the dietician and economist, " the manufacturer of cleaning materials and appliances, the salesman, as wiell as the details of “washing up” and the family washing, and the planning of the day’s work in the home, be it an “establishment” or one room.

Tt is understood that the women delegates of many nations separated after the Congress with the determination to 1 encourage each in her own country to pursuit of further enquiry into the field of household management in preparation for the staging of an even better meeting on the subject at the next International Congress in three years’ time. The collection of facts and of more experience is urgently necessary, and to this end every housewife and servant can contribute—every housewife, and servant will profit by the work the experts anei prepared to do in relation to the facts and experience imparted to. them.

The National 1 Council of Women is asking for voluntary helpers in this national service and for funds to carry on research. Efficiency in industry has made great progress in the last few years, efficiency in the household lags behind, women may reasonably demand that what has been donei for the work in the factory may be done for the work in the home. The N.C.W. is prepared to take its share in this endeavour.