WOMEN’S INSTITUTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 July 1938, Page 12

WOMEN’S INSTITUTES

CONFERENCE IN WELLINGTON ADDRESS BY MINISTER (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The work being done by women’s institutes throughout New Zealand in co-operation with the Health and Education Departments to improve the general standard of life in the home was praised by the Minister of Health and Education, the Hon P. Fraser, during his address at the official opening of the Dominion Federation of Women’s Institutes’ annual general meeting in the Town Hall, Wellington, yesterday. The Dominion president, Mrs William Deans, presided, and those on the platform included the mayor of Wellington, Mr Hislop, Mrs Fraser, members of the Dominion executive of the federation and representatives of sister women’s organisations. Referring to the large attendance, Mr Fraser said there was evidence in the .women’s institute movement of a devotion and enthusiasm that grew greater every year. There were three places in the world of great interest to the women’s institutes of New Zealand —Stoney Creek in Ontario, where the movement had its origin in 1895; Llanfear in Wales, where the first institute in Great Britain was estalished in 1915; ’ and Rissington, in Hawke’s Bay, where the first women’s institute in New Zealand was founded in 1921 by Miss Jerome Spencer, whom Mr Fraser said he was pleased to see present on the platform. The movement had since grown to its present great extent and was playing an important part in the lives of the women of New Zealand and in the whole community. Mr Fraser spoke of the humanitarian objectives of the movement, including the study of social conditions and the teaching of domestic/science, handicrafts and home economics. Speaking of the assistance g’iven by institutes to the Government departments under his control, the Minister said that during the past year the Government had for the first time given financial assistance to the institutes for their work among the Maori people. “As Minister of Health I will always feel gratified that I started that work among the Maoris,” said Mr Fraser. “It is helping them to practice hygiene in their homes and to attain better health.” He trusted that the co-opera-tion of the institutes in that work would be extended in future years. In the interests of the health and education of women and children he welcomed the co-operation of the institutes. The scope of the work to be undertaken by the Council for Adult Education was described by the Minister. He said that the council had been set up to co-ordinate the education facilities made available through the women’s institutes, the women’s division of the Farmers’ Union, the Workers’ Educational Association, the Drama League and other organisations for adult education. Health matters, including child nutrition, were being attended to by the recently appointed Medical Research Council. Reference was made by the Minister to the reports- of the committees that recently investigated the incidence of abortion, including septic abortion and maternity welfare in the Dominion. Those were questions to which he knew the women’s institutes would face up to with the object of creating a healthy and clean public opinion on those matters. “We will have to get and I know we will get the support of the women’s organisations to bring into this country the best possible service for maternity welfare,” said Mr Fraser. “As Minister of Health I hope that the maternity hospitals and maternity services in all parts of the Dominion will be something other countries will look up to.” Stating that the question of education was important to country mothers. Mr Fraser outlined the progress made in that field. Consolidation of schools with consequent improvement in the education facilities for the children concerned had been proceeding at a reasonable rate and the free conveyance of primary and secondary school children had been extended very rapidly. “I believe that when the people realise the benefits and opportunities being made available to them there will be no grudge about the amount being paid for health and education,” said Mr Fraser. It was his hope that the children of every part of the Dominion should have equality of opportunity in education, and that the children of country districts who desired to attend secondary or technical schools should have an opportunity to do so.