WOMEN'S PROTEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 141, 17 June 1939, Page 14

WOMEN'S PROTEST.

right or Self-expression

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) GISBORNE, Friday. "Most of you are fairly familiar with what occurred in connection with the protest against the taxation of women under the Social Security Act," stated Mr. K. J. Holyoake, M.P., a Nationalist party speaker in an address at the city hall this evening. "At first there was a meeting of women in Christchurch, where it was decided that women should refuse to register under the Act or pay the tax. Then there was a meeting at Te Awamutu where indignation was expressed against the proposed terms of the contract into which medical practitioners were asked to enter. There were about COO women at the meeting, I believe.

' "The Minister of Health made a sneering, gibing reference to the meeting, declaring that it had born worked up for political purposes, and that the action of the women was inspired by political views. Suppose that were the case? Have we no rights of political expression left to usT Is only Labour to have the right of expression? But it has now been proved beyond doubt that the meeting had no political inspiration. It was genuinely a meeting of women interested in the subject. "Professor Algie, of the Freedom League, commented on what he calls the low standard of Ministerial courtesy.

"I and the National party believe that the women of New Zealand have a perfect right to give their views on a matter affecting them so vitally as maternity benefits and contracts tinder the Social Security scheme. New Zealand women arc not particularly vocal in public, nt least on these political issues, and I feel that it would bo wise for any Government to take the matter seriously instead of sneering when happenings such as those at Christchurch and To Awamutu occur."