LET THE PEOPLE THINK!

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 108, 18 July 1941, Page 42

LET THE PEOPLE THINK!

New Zealand Woman’s Work In Stimulating Study Of Post-War Reconstruction

THE other day it was announced that, as a result of a meeting of interested persons in Wellington, presided over by Sir Thomas Hunter and addressed by Professor F. L. W. Wood, an organisation to stimulate the. study of post-war problems had been set up. Behind that announcement was the story of a public-spirited woman who has given her time and energy to a cause that she feels is of vital importance. Here is the story:

EVEN years ago Miss Noeline Baker built herself a house at Stewart Island. It is a beautiful house standing in its own grounds-thirty-five acres of the famous Stewart Island bush, and five acres in which Miss Baker will be able to satisfy her love of gardening. Several times since its completion Miss Baker has made plans to settle there permanently, but each time her strong sense of

public duty has prevented her. Now she feels that the longed-for moment has come. I remember hearing Miss Baker’s name in connection with the publication in 1932 of her father’s journal, entitled A Surveyor in New Zealand-The Recollections of John Holland Baker. This was edited and generally prepared for publication by Miss Baker herself, and, considering the amount of research and hard work which she had to put into it, Miss Baker might well have felt that she had earned her right to retirement. But she had inherited certain of her father’s qualities-he is described by a friend as "a sanguine young man richly endowed with energy, determination and courage" -so after its completion she went back once again to England. It was while she was there that the idea came to her of forming a society of people to interest themselves in post-war reconstruction,

Stayed at Home and Read "I was in England for the first seven months of the war," Miss Baker told me. "The black-out precautions were stringently enforced, and going out at night was a difficult and unpleasant business. So for seven months I stayed home and read-read all I could about the intervational situation and all I could about the causes of the war. I became convinced of the tremendous importance of thinking about Post-War Reconstruction now. So I decided to come back to New.Zealand to see what I could do to arouse and stimulate interest in this subject. "When I returned to New Zealand I got in touch with friends of mine who I knew were interested. There happened to be three of us in the South Island and ‘three in the North Island, and we discussed means by which we could rouse public interest and make the people of New Zealand alive to their responsibility in the matter. It seemed to us that the best way to do this was to get in touch with other organisations working along the same lines. As I was the only person with sufficient time, I. was chosen to travel throughout New Zealand and arouse public interest. And we have found we had sufficient support to form a Post-War _ Reconstruction Study Group. The idea of our organisation is to help all other societies who are study-

ing Post-War Reconstruction. We have produced and distributed folders suggesting lines for study and have drawn up a fairly comprehensive list of suggested reading for the study groups." Women on the Land "Had you previously done much work along these lines?" I asked Miss Baker. "Not as regards Post-War Reconstruction. But-I have had a lot of organising experience. In England before the last war I was an organising secretary of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. During the war I belonged to the Women’s Land Army and then afterwards I kept up the connection by becoming an organising Secretary of. the National Association of Landswomen. I think it is on the land that women can prove most useful in time of war. Even in peace-time I would like to see more women on the land. Too few women take up agriculture as a career." "Then I suppose you will find something for yourself to do in connection with the New Zealand Women’s Land Army?" I asked. "No," said Miss Baker firmly, "as soon as I’ve finished my work on PostWar Reconstruction I am going home." "And do you. find people enthusiastic?"’ "Yes, we’re getting a marvellous response. Dozens of study groups have already been formed all over New Zealand."

To Make People Think "And what particular solution do you advocate for post-war problems?" "Our idea is not so.much to produce solutions for the problems of the postwar world, but rather to make people aware that there are problems. We want at the end of the war to have a public opinion based on knowledge rather than on emotion. We want people to be aware of their responsibilities in this matter, to think about it sanely and soberly-not to arrive at the end of the war without having thought at all." "Ts that what you consider happened at the end of the last war?" "Yes. I am not saying that the Treaty of Versailles is directly responsible for the present war, but it certainly helped. But even afterwards we missed many opportunities of making a better settlement. If the ordinary people of the world had known what was happening, there were opportunities that could have been seized. Victory in the last war did not give us lasting peace because we did not understand what was necessary to secure it. That is where we women of New Zealand can play a very important part. Many of us are unburdened as far as military work goes, but we can give our minds to the problems of peace, and by doing so we can play a very important part in the wellbeing of the world." "And what position are you taking in your society for Post-War Reconstruction?" : "An unofficial one. I am definitely about to retire. This is the third time I have made this decision and I’m sure I’m going to be lucky. Though, of course, I may be able to do some prosyletising among the inhabitants of Stewart Island."