WIVES WITH CHILDREN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 248, 30 July 1943, Page 2

WIVES WITH CHILDREN

THEIR ADDED RESPONSIBILITIES. MATTERS FOR THE COMMUNITY. Reports of a recent tragedy at Invercargill, where a widow drowned four of her six young children and took her own life, aroused widespread sympathy. As an outcome of the fatality an effort is being made in Invercargill to form a committee drawn from social service organisations, whose duty it will be to keep in touch with women with families during this time of strain. Several Ashburton people commented on the need for such an organisation here. “This is a big thing to the community and somebody should he taking care of it,” said the Mayoress (Mrs J. Connor). “It concerns not only soldiers' wives, but all women with families.” Mrs F. Curtis (chairman of the MidCanterbury Centre of the Red Cross Society), said that the establishment of next-of-kin associations was a step in the right direction. It was reasonable that women whose menfolk were away fighting should be helped with their added responsibilities. It was, however, a big job to keep in contact with everybody and a good deal of organisation would be required.

There was no doubt of the need for a body such as the one proposed af Invercargill, said the chairman of the Ashburton Ministers’ Association (the Rev. J. S. Murray), As far as it was within their power, the churches endeavoured to help meet the needs ■which arose in many families as a result of the war, but there was a big constituency of the community which was beyond their control. A big responsibility lay on the community to see that no woman was reduced to straits where she would sacrifice herself and her children, but so far no preventative steps had been taken. “One aspect of the question of domestic strain on a working class mother is that of getting domestic help,” said Mr Murray. "There is need for action on a national scale.”