WIVES' COMPLAINT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 129, 13 March 1935, Page 6

WIVES' COMPLAINT

UNEMPLOYEDS' PLIGHT SOME CASES OF STARVATION. PLEA TO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT. AWARD RATE WAGES DESIRED. INCREASE IN SUSTENANCE. (Pot Press Association).' WELLINGTON, This Day. Members of Parliament were this morning invited by a number of Labour members to meet a deputation of ladies who desired to put before them tlhe case of relief workers' wives and children, on the lines that were put before the Minister for Employment last week. As a Government party caucus was being held to consider the Rural Mortgagors Bill, the Labour members and Independents were practically the onfy members present. Some 200 women and a number of children were present. The" chair was taken by Sir Charles Statham. The proceedings were perfectly orderly throughout, the speakers being given a good hearing. Mrs A. Henderson, the first speaker, said that the women present were the wives of relief workers who had known what it was actually to want. In many Cases they had known actual starvation. They had seen their husbands go to Work in the morning without breakfast, and their children crying for bread. She appealed to members when they went back to the floor or the Blouse to demand that the abject poverty that existed be done away with. The Unemployment Board had a reserve of £1,500,000 (cries of shame) while women and children were going hungry. The women demanded that their husbands snould be paid award wages. If work were not available, they should receive an amount of sustenance that would enable them to live decently, and feed and clothe their children properly. Mrs Henderson also contended that a relief worker's' wife should be allowed to earn money to supplement her husband's earnings. She said the wife of a man who was in permanent work was allowed to have permanent work also. "Why should a relief worker's wife not be allowed to do the same. Members should demand that the Government should shoulder its responsibilities and shoulder them fully.

Mrs E. Cooks said that if members did not know that such conditions existed they should go to places where they could see them for themselves. Mr M. J. Savage moved a vote of thanks to the speakers. He regretted that members of the Government were not present. It Avas a pity that the deputation was speaking only to their friends, but there was no harm in doing that. The motion was seconded by Mr H. Atmore, who urged that the' speakers of that morning should be allowed to state their case to the country by broadcasting.