Minutes

              STANDING JOINT COMMITTEE OF INDUSTRIAL WOMEN'S ORGANISATIONS
MINUTES OF MEETING OF SPANISH RELIEF COMMITTEE HELD ON FRIDAY,  23rd APRIL 1937 at 3 p.m. at TRANSPORT HOUSE, SMITH SQUARE, LONDON, S.W.I.
PRESENT:    Mrs. Leighton (in the chair);    Mrs. Attlee, Mrs. Clynes, Mrs. Hastings, Mrs. Middleton, Mrs. Shepherd and Miss Sutherland (Secretary).
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE:
Apologies for absence were received from Miss Bondfield, Mrs. Davey, Mrs. Greenwood and Mrs. Short.
MINUTES:
The Minutes of the Meeting held on 14th January, which had been circulated, were adopted and signed.
SECRETARY'S REPORT:
(a) Income and Expenditure.     The Secretary reported the total income to date was £1,398. Os. 3d;    expenditure £1,345.12s.4d., leaving a balance of £53. 7s.11d.     There were, however, unpaid accounts for wool which would amount to between £27 and £28 so that the real balance was approximately £25.     Of the total income, £1,398. 0s. 3d., £1,050 had been transferred from the International Solidarity Fund for the purchase of garments and wool, and £348. 0s. 3d represented donations in response to the Committee's appeal.
(b) Purchase and Distribution of Wool.     Since 1st December 2,050 lbs of wool had been purchased and distributed to Knitting Committees and Groups.     Most of the Committees were small, but one or two of the larger Committees, for example, Southampton and Edinburgh, had dealt with considerable quantities of wool. The bulk of the wool had been purchased at very favourable rates from the C.W.S., so that the total expenditure on wool was approximately £375. 7s. 9d. instead of £450 as anticipated.
(c) Despatch of Garments.     Up to date the following had been despatched:-
Hand-knitted garments received from Committees and
individuals - 9,075.
Purchased from C.W.S. - 10,942.
Gifts from firms through Tailors' and Garment Workers' Union - 1,607
Total -   21,624 garments
In addition 156 blankets, 71 rolls of cloth and 99 short lengths of cloth, the latter gifts received through the Tailors' and Garment Workers' Union.     12 lbs surgical dressings had been sent through the Committee as well as two small cases of food which had been received.
Goods had been sent in four different consignments, the first three having arrived safely and the last consignment meantime on its way to Valencia.
FUTURE ACTIVITIES:
The future activities of the Committee were fully discussed and it was AGREED that in view of the approaching warmer weather, the Knitting Committees be asked if they would be prepared to divert their energies to making other than knitted garments. It was also AGREED that the Co-operative Wholesale Society be approached with a view to investigating the price of ready-made garments, the price of cotton material and the price of cutting out garments in bulk.