WOMEN'S INSTITUTES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 422, 25 July 1947, Page 5

WOMEN'S INSTITUTES

Sir,-One or two, letters have appeared in The Listener lately about Women’s Institutes in the early days of our Province. We quite realise we have not the monopoly of the word "Institute." A number of organisations use the term: the New Zealand Educational Institute, the Institute for the Blind, the Wesley Institute-which used to be part of the social life of the old Wesleyan Methodist Church, to name only a few. The Women’s Institute in its present constitution was formed in Canada in 1897, introduced into England in 1915 where the Government of the day voted a subsidy of £50,000 to help establish groups throughout the couimtry. In 1921 after a visit to England Miss Jerome Spencer formed the first Women’s Institute in New Zealand at Rissington, Hawke’s Bay. There are now more than 900 groups in this country. The aim and object of the present Women’s Institute is the development and improvement of country life. Handcrafts of all descriptions are encouraged and an active interest taken in public affairs. "Our nation’s fundamental need is for an increasing number of happy enlightened homes on farms and in the country villages, thus stemming the drift to the towns. This is the direction in which the Women’s Institutes can continue to give unique and immeasurable service to our Dominion.’,--FRANCES L. TOPP (President of the North Canter«

bury Federation of Women’s Institutes),

Sir,-In your issue of May 30, J.W.C. maintains that Women’s Institutes were founded in 1892, "but the movement failed to secure the gerious attention of the press." Naturally, proof of the statement was to be found (and suggested) in the written word and so far no written verification has been found. However, since the publication of my last letter I have received further evidence in a personal letter which confirms the statement of J.W.C. Evidently a women’s social and political organisation was founded in the early 1890's in Canterbury and was called the Women’s Institute; Its appearance seems to have coincided with the birth of women’s independence. At this period various women’s organisations were creeping on to the national landscape and ‘this particular movement gradually crept off? : It was not to England that the foundress of Women’s Institutes looked for a name, but from England she brought an idea for the countrywomen of New Zealand, Great credit and respect is and always will be paid to our women pioneers, but one could not expect a present organisation to pay homage to a past organisation about which/ it had not heard until the start of this little dis-

cussion.

BARBARA

HARPER

(Geraldine

(This correspondence is now closed.-Ed.)