MAIDEN SPEECH BY MISS HOWARD

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23882, 26 February 1943, Page 4

MAIDEN SPEECH BY MISS HOWARD

WOMEN IN NATIONAL LIFE

PART IN REHABILITATION

PLANNING

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, February 25. A plea for greater recognition of the place women could take was made by Miss Mabel Howard (Labour, Christchurch East) in seconding the motion initiating the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives tonight. It was her maiden speech. “I am pleased to know that there is a woman in every rehabilitation committee in New Zealand. We have to thank the Labour Government for that privilege,” she said. “I believe that if women had been in the rehabilitation schemes after the last war there would not have been the wrecks and sorry spectacles we see around us to-day.” After speaking for some time on rehabilitation problems affecting women Miss Howard turned her attention to Parliament. “I have only been in the House two days, and I can already see where the women of the House will have to band together and get rid of some of the old things and old customs happening in this House,”- she said. “I think you should scrap this House Committee. (Laughter and cries of “Hear, hear.”) I think you. could scrap it and make the four women of the House the House Committee. No, I am not suggesting that the women take over the bar. We do not know anything about that side,” she added. “I was also told that you could not have one of my sex sitting on the floor of the House at the back of the distinguished strangers’ galiery, but if the privilege is good enough for males why not for women members?” she asked. “I think the advent of women in this House has come just about in time,”

Miss Howard, who was granted an extension of time, spoke at some length on the part women could jilay in postwar reconstruction, especially in housing. She said she “intended to be nice” to the Minister of Housing, as in her electorate there were many houses which could well be pulled down and replaced with good structures under the housing scheme. Miss Howard was applauded warmly at the finish of her speech.

When Miss Howard concluded her speech, Mrs C. C. S. Stewart (Labour, Wellington West) was the first to congratulate her. She later received congratulations from members on both sides of the House.