SUPERINTENDENT’S LETTERS.

White Ribbon, Volume 24, Issue 280, 18 October 1918, Page 11

SUPERINTENDENT’S LETTERS.

APPEAL FOR MINE SWEEPERS. Dear White Ribbon Sisters, — Just a word or so re your work for mine-sweepers and the crews of torpedoed merchant ''hips in response to my appeal. The time is drawing near when all knitted garments, etc., etc., will require to be sent in to me, so that they may reach London in time to be distributed during the most severe part of the winter these men have, unfortunately, to again face in the North Sea. Will you therefore please note that the second week in November will be the limit for your goods to reach me here in Wellington. Cash can still be sent any time after then. Roth money and garments are coming in very well indeed, and the effort promises to be a success this year again. I trust the Unions who have not yet sent in will do so now, and so have their names and work added to the list when published in the “White Ribbon.” Any further information I will be glad to send to any Union. 1 have still a number of Appeals to send on request where required.—Yours in the work, HESS IF. \IM MO.

COOD CITIZENSHIP DEPARTMENT.

We began our usual winter course of meetings under this department in connection with the Nelson Union on June 7th two meetings having been held during the month. Roth were devoted to the consideration of the Rr it - ish victory for women suffrage, mainly with reference to the responsibilities which th*• |>ossession of the vote brings to women and the wider opj)ortunities thereby opened up. At the Union meeting in June, also a slight sketch was given of the history of the Women’s Movement in England during the last 50 years, with its struggles, hopes, and disapjxiintments, and its um easing efforts, culminating at iast in the partial attainment of their aims on February 6th, iqiß, with the passing of the People’s Representation Rill, containing the Women's Franchise Clause. Though only a partial attainment, restricted by limitations of

age and other qualifications, it >et marks an important step forward, being the affirmation of women’s right to take some part in the management of the affairs of the country. The account of the celebrations by the buff rage Societies and the enthusiasm of the women, together with the programme of work mapped out by them, should serve as an object-lesson to those of us who have jH)ssesscd this privilege for so many years, and should rouse us to more earnest efforts for the many reforms still needed in this country. We are also beginning work in connection with the Parliamentary and Municipal Electoral Rolls, with the object of ensuring that there shall be as many electors’ names as j»ossiblc on the roll in tlm event of a General Election or a Referendum on the question of Prohibition during the next twelve months; and also in readiness for the next municipal election. This is important work at the present time, more especially as there must be a large number of young people who have come of age since the last rolls were compiled in IQI4 and 1015, and we older members of the community should make it our business to see that all such (especially the girls) have taken the necessary steps to have their names placed upon both rolls. I would suggest to all our larger Unions in particular that this work should be taken in hand at once, in order that it may be more thoroughly done than is possible if left to the last ft w weeks before an election. W’c may notice, in reading the accounts of the work undertaken by the newly enfranchised women in European countries, the formation of ( lasses or courses of lectures for the education of women in their civic and political duties. This again is a most essential piece of work, which 1 should much like to see tak'‘n up b) those who have the requisite knowledge and time It is with this object, though on a very small s< ale, that we have endeavoured year aftei year to carr/ on some kind of tudycirclc in connection with the Nelson ‘Union, and 1 may repeat what I have written on former occasions, that if we can give any assistance to smaller Unions by passing on the results of our studies, we shall be glad to do so. In addition to the discussion on the women’s movement already mentioned, we have studied a very interesting

paper on Municipal Law, kindly lent to us by our Town Clerk, and a pamphlet by Norman Angell, “The Prussian in Our Midst,” some of our meetings being devoted to work under the Peace and Arbitration Department. W’c hope to be able to give one afternoon to President Wilson’s address to Congicss, and another to some line of Educational Reform, but our local work is for the present subservient to the special campaign in which we are now engaged. We may not be able to accomplish much by our efforts, but if we can in any way inc rease the interest of women in the management of civic and political affairs, and help them to feci that it is their duty and privilege to understand something of the national and international questions of the day, we may feel assured that t,ur work has not been in vain, but will have its effect, however small, on the future of our country. MARIAN JUDSON, N X. Supt.