WOMEN’S SUPPORT

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 181, 29 April 1938, Page 6

WOMEN’S SUPPORT

Candidates On Citizens’ Ticket Women electors filled Niinmo’s Hall yesterday afternoon to hear addresses by citizens’ committee <t>udidates for the local body elections. .Mrs. T. C. A. Hislop was in the chair. .Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, a candidate for the mayoralty, referred to the importance of the elections as determining those to be in office at the time of the national centennial, which would also mark the centenary of the city of Wellington. His opponent and those supporting him had no programme at all. said Mr. Hislop, but were merely out to get control for the trade union councils. The holding of the office of trade union secretary would prevent that balance of judgment necessary in municipal affairs. The present council was accused of not co-operating with the Government, but every request made by the Government to the council had been complied with. Most of those requests were to provide work for unemployed, and Wellington had probably done more in the way of taking on men than any other - city in New Zealand.

Every one of his opponents bad voted against the proposal to make land available for housing,; yet they had previously agreed that the council should not compete with the Government for labour. They voted also against every other proposal brought down. That the Government had been able to build only 100 houses in Wellington showed how difficult it was to do the thing on a big scale, no matter how much money was available. Mr. Hislop concluded by asking his hearers to vote for the whole citizens’ ticket. A vote of thanks for his address was carried, together with a pledge of active support. Miss A. G. Kane, a candidate for reelection to the hospital board,' said that she had acted with one motive, to further the interests of the hospital. The huge building scheme was asking too much of the citizens. She was strongly of the opinion that ratepayers should be directly represented on the board. The provision of a wing at the base hospital for paying patients was advocated by the speaker. Mrs. Knox Gilmer, a candidate for election to the hospital board, said her particular interest was in the children, she having been a member of the committee which erected the present children’s hospital. It was now in the wrong place, and a new one was wanted in happy surroundings such as one of the beaches. The building scheme and everything about the administration had to be cleared up. There was no sanatorium in Wellington, and no provision for women suffering from nervous 'breakdowns resulting from the present turmoil of life.

The Rev. F. J. Usher, who is seeking election to the hospital board, said it was necessary to start at the beginning and evolve the perfect scheme to relieve the congestion.

Mr. Will Appleton, a candidate for reelection to the city council and for election to the harbour board, said the margin between Labour and moderate members on the harbour board was growing slender, and the Government’s displacement of Mr. Andrew Fletcher had created a dangerous position. If Labour got control there would be an end of the improvements which had given Wellington such a line harbour. Mr. Will J. Mason, a candidate for the hospital board, advocated the establishment of a convalescent home, which could bo erected, he said, in six months for 125,000. At the close of the meeting a women’s committee was formed to further the candidature of the.citizens’ ticket, and it was announced that headquarters were in the old “New Zealand Times” building, Lambton Quay.