New Guinea Women's Club Annual Meeting

Entering The Fourth (Perhaps Last)

Evacuee Year

ONE aspect of the annual general meeting of the New Guinea Women’s Club of Sydney, in the Feminist Club Rooms, on July 21, was the apparent strange reluctance of rank and file members (with one or two exceptions) to get to their feet and offer ideas or indulge in discussion. This, plus the fact that the old committee was re elected in a body by a resolution, cer tainly indicates the utmost confidence in the ability of executive members.

But it would surely considerably lighten the burden of the hard-working com mittee if members, in free and open dis cussion, brought forth a few new ideas and argued the pros and cons of old ones.

Reports of both president and treasurer were received without comment and when the meeting was thrown open to discussion there were no acceptors.

Lady McNicoll, in moving that the president’s report be adopted, expressed the hope that that would be the last general meeting held in those circum stances and that this year would see the return of most members to the Terri tories.

She expressed her admiration of the women evacuees who had carried on so bravely since their arrival in Australia and spoke with particular appreciation of the work of the club’s president, Mrs. H.

H. Page, who, although her load of per sonal anxiety was greater than most, continued untiringly with her work for the club.

Following are extracts from the presi dent’s report:

Soldiers 7 Parcels

FEWER parcels were sent this year.

This was because of a resolution carried at a committee meeting held in September, 1944. It read: “In view of the fact that a great part of our efforts to date have been directed to providing comforts for our Service men and women, and considering the progress of the war and that so many

of our soldiers are now within canteen districts, that our efforts now be dir ected mainly towards building up a fund to provide some relief for our POW—especially civilian POW or their dependants—on their return to Aus tralia, and that the previous motion directing Xmas cakes to be sent this year be rescinded.”

We sent parcels only to isolated areas, therefore, and we remembered the Ser vices at Xmas time with a card reading: “Remembrance for the past, Bright hopes for the future.”

Rehabilitation Fund

WITH the consent of the Australian Comforts Fund, we then opened a fund for “Prisoners of War and Civil Internees” and it was decided to write to various firms, soliciting their interest and support, and the response has been most gratifying. A list of donors appears in the “PIM” each month.

Entertainments

MRS. FOXCROFT, the leader of the Entertainment Committee, together with Mrs. Meldrum and her com mittee, have done grand work and been responsible for eight entertainments dur ing the year, as follows: August 24, 1944, bridge and games afternoon, held at Feminist Club; September 29, 1944, dance, held at Feminist Club; December 18, 1944, children’s Xmas party, held at Feminist Club; December 21, 1944, adult get-together party, held at Feminist Club; March 2, 1945, bridge and games evening, held at Feminist Club; April 20, 1945, dance, held at Lovejoy Dance Hall; May 31, 1945, entertainment arranged by Robert Payne and compered by Eric Creighton, held at Radio Theatre.

On June 16, Mrs. Foxcroft invited mem bers to afternoon tea at her home in Arncliffe, each to bring a gift suitable for a street stall.

All entertainments were very success ful, particularly the Christmas parties.

We all hope that with the end of the European war, and the progress of the war in the Pacific that this will be the last year for the New Guinea Women’s Club as a war organisation. With the thought that so many more of our people may be able to rejoice, we tentatively engaged the State Theatre Ballroom for the adult Christmas party, 1945, for con sideration by the incoming committee.

Street Stall

THE street stall held by the courtesy of J. C. Williamson & Co., at the bal cony entrance of Theatre Royal, on June 29, and of which Mrs. Meldrum was in charge, was an outstanding success.

All members were particularly interested in this new venture and although we had less than a month in which to prepare, the generosity of members and the pub lic helped us to realise a greater sum than at any previous effort, and it is our earnest hope that street stalls may be periodically arranged—the overhead expenses are so minute.

Help for NG Chinese Community

IN August, 1944, the committee discussed the desirability of helping the Chinese of New Guinea now in Sydney. We interviewed the Chinese Consul, who expressed his appreciation but said Ex ternal Territories and the Chinese popu

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lation of Australia were doing all that was necessary, but that he would advise us at a later date should our help be needed.

Delegates to Other Organisations

RED Cross Standing Conferences held in Sydney have been attended by representatives of the club, Mrs.

Cooper and Mrs. Bliss representing us when meetings are held in Melbourne.

Our representatives have also attended meetings of the Pacific Territories Asso ciation executive, and meetings of the National Council of Women.

Civilian Internees and Dependants

IN last year’s annual report I told you how hard we had worked to have

the evacuees’ loans made grants; and also that we asked that women be allowed to take positions without the allowance ceasing. I then had reason to believe that something would be settled in the near future. Something has been settled, but it is extremely disappointing.

In a letter to the secretary, dated October 17, 1944, the Minister for Exter nal Territories, Mr. Ward, says: “In continuation of my letter, July 6, 1944, relating to the allowances that are being paid to dependants of New Guinea civilian internees in Japanese hands, I wish to inform you that when this question was considered at a recent meeting of the Ministerial sub-commit tee dealing with matters affecting the Territories of Papua and New Guinea, it was decided that the allowance to dependants will not be reduced or dis continued if the dependant engages in remunerative employment and where the total income, including allowance, does not exceed: Woman £3 10 0 per week W’oman & 1 child .. 4 15 0 „ „ Woman & 2 children 5 5 0 „ “For each additional child the maxi mum will be increased by 5/- per week and no reduction is made when Child Endowment is received.

“With respect to the question of re garding allowances to dependants as grants and not repayable loans, whilst the sub-committee was not prepared to agree to this course it was decided that no action be taken to recover amounts to dependants of New Guinea civilian internees until the internee is released and his position generally is examined.”

Whilst we appreciate the problems which beset the Government and thank them for their support as far as it goes, we do feel this is a very special matter.

As the Mandate of New Guinea was gov erned by the Commonwealth of Austra lia, we consider that the civilian popula tion of New Guinea should have been evacuated and so have been in a posi tion to care for their own dependants, but such was not the case, and there

fore the dependants should be the Gov ernment’s responsibility.

Perhaps a different approach to the Government might bring results, but what that approach could be I do not know. It seems to me that the best we can hope for is that this hideous war will soon end.

Help for Territorians

THIS year, as in preceding years, it has been our pleasure to help many of the New Guinea women, and we would be glad if members would consider it their duty to advise us of any neces sitous case. Such matters are treated very confidentially.

Appreciation

1 SHOULD like to place on record my personal appreciation of the help given me so graciously by Mrs. Mac lean at all times; and of the work of the club’s secretary, Mrs. J. H. McDon ald, and its treasurer, Mrs. H. Adams.

The club is also indebted to Miss Grant, our hon. auditor, for her four years’ con tinuous service, and to the following: Mrs. Cameron, for her outstanding help; Mrs. Ormonde and Mrs. Meldrum, for the arrangement of flowers when necessary; the officer in charge of External Terri tories, for placing a room at our disoosal for committee meetings; the “Pacific Islands Monthly,” for its generous sup port in keeping us so much before the New Guinea public, and to Mr. Foxcroft for all help given so spontaneously throughout the life of the club.

Finances

RECEIPTS for the year (including £316 carried over from year ending June 30, 1944) were £921. Expendi ture was £7lB, leaving a balance at bank of £203. Included in the expenditure was an amount of £279 —money transferred from the general account to the civilian internees account.

The Civilian Internees Fund, at June 30, 1945, amounted to £420/17/11.

Office-Bearers

rE committee of 1944-45 was re-elected in a body, on the motion of Lady McNicoll, seconded by Mrs. Duncan.

Mrs. E. G. Haynes was elected to the vacancy created by the recent resigna tion of Mrs. Ord, who is to return to Papua with her husband.

Office-bearers, therefore, are as follows: President, Mrs. H. H. Page; vice-presi dents, Mrs. C. H. R. Maclean, Mrs. N.

Foxcroft; secretary, Mrs. J. H. McDonald; treasurer, Mrs. H. Adams; committee, Mesdames J. Allan, W. Wallace-Brown, B. G. Edgell, M. Forsyth, J. Harding, A.

C. Meldrum, K. McMullen, E. Ormonde, L. Saunders. E. G. Haynes.

Lsdy McNicoll again consented to remain patroness, and Miss I. Grant hon. auditor.