Oldham Society for Women's Suffrage.
Sixth Annual Report and Balance Sheet
Year ending October 31st 1916
of the Oldham Society for Women's Suffrage.
Read at the Annual Meeting of Members, November 11th, 1916,
in the Music Room, Werneth Park.
With which is included an Article by Dr. Olive Claydon.
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President :
Miss Marjory Lees
Vice Presidents:
Mrs. Bodden, Mrs. Eric Claydon, B.A., Mrs. McGowan, Rev. G.S. Osborn, Mrs. J.W. Taylor, Rev. A.J. Viner, Mr. G.H. Whittaker, 1Miss Catherine Payne, M.B., B.S..
Executive Committee:
Mrs. Clynes, Mrs. Wilde, Miss Dornan, Mrs. Ingham, 116, Abbey Hills Rd., Miss Field, Mrs. Jagger, Mrs. Osborn, Mrs. Siddall, Miss Sharples, Miss S.E. Wright, 307, Greenacres Rd., Miss Hearne (Literature Secretary).
Hon Treasurer:
Miss Mitton, 13 Newport Street,
Hon. Secretary:
Mrs. Bridge, 82, Greengate Street.
Hon. Secretary to The Friends of Women's Suffrage Scheme:
Miss Fox, 25, Osborne Road.
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Sixth Annual Report
Looking back on the year which has ended, we can say to our members that we have seen the importance of maintaining our organisation even in wartime, for while not raising the question of Women's Suffrage ourselves we have had to carefully watch the Parliamentary sitaution when the subject of Franchise Reform was raised by others. It was felt that any changes which might be made now, though alleged to be for war purposes, would outlast the war, and so, directed by the National Union, the following letter , signed by your officers, was sent to every member of the Cabinet in June last:-
"Sir, Since the outbreak of war our Society has suspended its ordinary political activities inasmuch as it has not pressed for a Government measure of Women's Suffrage; but while sharing in the political truce it has in no sense abandoned its devotion to the object for which it was formed.
We understand that proposals for dealing with the Franchise are now in contemplation, and would remind you that the volume of support for Women's Suffrage throughout the country has not declined, but has been greatly strengthened since the outbreak of war.
We beg to enclose two resolutions which define the position of our Society with regard to Registration.
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At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Oldham Society for Women's Suffrage, held on June 15th 1916, it was unanimously resolved:-
'That this Committee is of the opinion that no action should be taken if the Bill brought forward makes no change in the existing Register, and is limited to enabling men at the front, who are on that Register, to vote either by post or in some other way.
Further, if the Bill as drafted, or any ammendment to it, proposes the addition of any fresh persons to that Register, Suffragists should then press for a Women's Suffrage Ammendment.'
As you know, the Prime Minister withdrew the proposal to appoint a Select Committee to consider the question of Registration, after a comparatively brief discussion.
On August 22nd the following motion was handed in by Sir John Simon:
"That in the opinion of the House, the Parliament to deal with industrial and social reconstruction after the war should be elected on a wide and simple franchise, exercised by both men and women, and that, therefore, legislation establishing such franchise is urgently required, and should be passed during the war."
A conference has now been appointed to deal with the question of Electoral Reform, and met for the first time on October 13th. This, then, is the present position of Women's Suffrage:
We have been in correspondence with our two members of Parliament with regard to the question. Both pay tribute to the work women have done during the war. This work has been greeted on all sides with admiration and surprise. It is testimony to which we are now very familiar, but it is only
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because the barriers, which were set up before the war, as to what women could or could not do have been swept away. It is not too much to say that but for the help of women the war could not have been adequately sustained, and it is to be hoped that the war has settled the question of votes for women. It has given them the opportunity, and they have proved themselves capable citizens. Our statesmen are acknowledging their conversion, and the future seems full of promise. On those who are expressing their admiration of the work of women today, lies the duty of freeing their path from obstruction to service.
the Prime Minister, in paying tribute to Miss Edith Cavell, last November, said, "We know now that there are thousands of such women. A year ago we did not know that they existed."
The appeal that was made at the last Annual Meeting, that part of our winter's work should be to raise funds for the Scottish Women's Hospitals met with a ready response, and we gratefully acknowledge the help received from the Hope Girls Guild, who by a concert held in the school handed in the sum of £13 0s. 9d.
Permission was given to us to take a week's collection on the Corporation Tram Cars. This resulted in the sum of £15 7s. 5d. Many of our members took collecting cards, and by this means raised £20 11s. 10d. A grant of £1 was made from the funds of the Society, and the President gave £25 to maintain the bed at Royaumont for another six months, also giving £100 as a donation to the Maternity Unit for Refugees in Russia. We have another very pleasing incident to record also in this work. The children of Freehold Council School, organised by Miss Hearne and Miss Johnson, gave an entertainment early in the year by which they raised the sum of £25. The children were allowed to vote as to where the money should be sent, and they decided that a bed should bear their name in
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the Manchester and District Fedration Field Hospital at Ajaccio. Thus there are now four beds bearing the name of Oldham. We hope by other efforts you will help to maintain them through this year.
The total amount raised for the Scottish Women's Hospitals has reached the sum of £134,000, and of this over £3,160 has been raised in our own Federation. In another branch for the relief of human suffering one of our members, (Mrs. Alderman Lees) has accepted the decoration and title of Lady of Grace of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.
Your Executive has met eight times during the year, and three of its members have attended the meetings of the Manchester Federation.
Delegates from the Society were present at the National Union Council meetings held in London in February last, and also at two conferences on Child Welfare, and at one of Women's War Interests held in Manchester.
On June 2nd Mrs. Annot Robinson spoke to a well-attended meeting of the members and friends on, 'Women and War Work'. The following resolutions were carried unanimously:
"In view of the increasing numbers of women engaged in industrial and professional work, this meeting urges the Government to provide an opportunity, under the Registration Bill, for the introduction of an agreed clause enfranchising women, thus enabling them to vote at the next General Election;"
and
"That this Society regrets that proposals have been put forward asking that in the cotton districts children of 12 years of age be allowed to work eight hours a day, and notes with satisfaction that the Oldham Education Committee has expressed its disapporval of the scheme."
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It is with great regret that we record the death of two Vice-Presidents. First, of Mrs. Claydon, who had taken keen interest in the Society since its formation; and on October 5th of her daughter, Dr. Olive Claydon, one of the founder members of the Society, and for several years a member of the Executive Committee. We remember the valuable help Dr. Claydon gave in the early days of the Society, when she took part in a public debate, with the result that we had a large increase in membership, and of much other work done both publicly and privately for the Society. To those who had the privilege of knowing her intimately it always seemed that she was able to accomplish anything for the many good causes to which she so generously gave herself. Her loss is a real one to the town, and a grief to a wide circle of friends, for she had, 'the art of being kind'. A tribute to her character and work is given by a high Government official in the following extract from a letter. In sending her some lines from George Eliot the writer said,
"A great source of happiness and peace to you just now should be that you have fulfilled the lines. You have assuredly stirred the pulse of many to greater generosity, and with persistence urged our search to vaster issues. You do not know how much you have been doing this, but you have been doing it. I shall never forget, and shall never forego, the new light. The new uplift, the new idealism that you showed to me."
The memorial service held in Oldham on October 9th was attended by many members of our Society. A bed has been endowed to her memory in the Children's Ward at the Oldham Royal Infirmary by two of our members, and we hope that some memorial from our Society will show in some measure the esteem and affection in which she was held by us.
Signed on behalf of the Executive Committee,
RACHEL H. BRIDGE, Honorary Secretary.
1 Read Dr. Catherine Payne's story HERE
