COMMUNITY WELFARE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 164, 13 July 1945, Page 7

COMMUNITY WELFARE

NEW MEMBER'S INTEREST

MAIDEN SPEECH APPLAUDED Parliamentary Reporter. WELLINGTON, this day. Her main concern would be the welfare of women and children and she was glad there was another woman member, said Mrs. Hilda Ross, the new National member for Hamilton, in making her maiden speech in the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives last evening. Mrs. Ross said that although the other woman member, Miss M. B. Howard (Govt, Christchurch East), was on the other side of the House, male members should not be surprised if on occasion they were united in matters which concerned women and children, for she was much more interested in the welfare of the community than in party strife.

The new member made a suggestion for improving the finances of the Plunket Society, which, she thought, should have a larger subsidy than one-third of its administrative expenses, thus reducing the worry of its officers and enabling them to devote more time to their real work. Voluntaryism should not be abandoned, for that, in her opinion, would be a tragedy. More girls should be induced to take up this work and opportunities given to working girls by changing. the system of training without salary. Help for mothers in the home was so urgently needed" that the status of domestic work must be raised.

The speaker described the poor conditions in old schools and uz'ged that just as much attention should be paid to this- class of building as to the design of modern schools. She commended children's health and holiday camp organisations and concluded by expressing the hope that she would be able to contribute something towards the welfare of the Dominion.