BACKBLOCKS WOMEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 October 1922, Page 10

BACKBLOCKS WOMEN.

LIVES OF HARDSHIP. ISOLATED AND LONELY. A graphic description of the hardships and monotony of the lives of the women cf the remote country districts was given by the Revs. Harry Johnson, vicar of Dargaville, and C. Seaton, of Kawhift and Raglan, at a meeting convened by the Auckland Mothers’ Union last week. Dr. A. W. Averill, Anglican Bishop of Auckland, who presided over a crowded attendance, said it would be a great help and encouragement to many women in isolated country districts if they felt they had the sympathy and thoughts of the women of Auckland. Possibly some bond could be established through the auspices of the Mothers’ Union. Mr. Johnson spoke of the strong spiritual influence exercised by women in many of the back-blocks settlements, where there was no Sunday school and years sometimes elapsed between the holding of church services. Many of these women led most monotonous and dreary lives, sometimes in little shacks, far back in the bush, cut off from civilisation by the appaling roads, which, for months at a time, kept them confined to their homes. Sometimes their children were ill, and then followed terrible journeys with the little patients over bush tracks and across rivers to the railway, and thus to doctors and hospital. By the time they reached the latter, however, they were often beyond medical aid, and then the mothers had to face the journey back home again alone. The strain of such a life, its deprivations, its loneliness were pictured in vivid terms by the speaker, who referred in high terms to the unfailing kindness and hospitality shown by these back, blocks wives and mothers to visitors and wayfarers. A tribute was also paid to the fine spirit in which the young school teachers accomplished their work. He concluded with a strong appeal to those present to obtain the names and addresses of some of these lonely women, to write occasional lettters, and send some books and magazines. A letter meant mere than those present could understand, and its receipt would be an important event in homes where mails were received onlv once a fortnight, or even once a month.

Mr. Seaton emphasised the disproportion between the number of people in the towns and in the country districts, and the need for more to go “out-back,” so that by in creasing weight qf numbers more attention might be directed to the pressing claims of thq remote districts.

“The Government of this country does not seem to care much about the people of the back-blocks,” he said. “The roads, the educational, medical, and postal facilities are all appalling, and the elements of social life are entirely lacking.

“People who live in the back-blocks are penalised in every way for living there at all. True, they have beautiful scenery, open-air life, plenty of cream &nd milk, but after all, that is not life! The worst danger confronting these people is that of drifting, first of all into the slavery so often associated with farm life, drifting into paganism, and that is where the Church is doing its very utmost to help. It is coping bravely with a most difficult situation, but it is hampered through lack of workers. “There are not nearly enough church services. Town people appear, by their sparse congregations, to have too many, but the situation is very different outback 1 ”

The need for the upbuilding of religious influence throughout the country, and for a return to the spirit of reverence which was so strong a characteristic of the pioneer colonists, was emphasised by Mr. E. C. Purdie. Bishop Averill thanked the speakers for their addresses.