WORKLESS WOMEN

Evening Star, Issue 21077, 14 April 1932, Page 12

WORKLESS WOMEN

DEMANDS ON THE GOVERNMENT SOME VIGOROUS SPEECHES [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, April 14. Women speakers at a- deputation of 150 unemployed women who interviewed the Right Hon. J. G. Coates to-day used emphatic phrases which their supporters loudly cheered. The demand of the deputation, which Mr H. Holland, M.P. (Leader of the Labour Party), introduced, was that as women pay the unemployment tax they must be treated by the Government in the same way ns men. The first speaker (Miss O’Connor), using impassioned tones, informed the Minister that the deputation differed completely from any previous one which had approached him. It was going to get what it asked for. “ This is not a threat,” continued the speaker. “Wc have discouraged our men, who hold thoughts of insurrection, but we are no longer going to do that. We are going to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. (Loud applause.) We will fight back to hack with them, and when women start to fight all 1 can say is ‘ God help you and all the other people on the benches of Parliament.” (Loud cheers.) Difficulties of English girls who had come to New Zealand under the assisted immigration scheme were explained by Miss Carmichael. She had been assured in London that she could get work in the dominion, but this proved to he incorrect. Some of the conditions under which domestics worked were shocking. English women were, she declared, being absolutely deceived about conditions in New Zealand. What did the Minister, she asked, think of the case of an English girl who had to take a position in a house’ where there were twelve boarders, and she had to sleep in the sitting room? She could not go to bed until the last boarder went out. This girl had left a comfortable home in England because she was promised good work here. The colonial girl had a grievance against the immigrant because there was not enough work for the colonial. The Immigration Department promised them all fair wages. If it could not keep this promise it should give them sustenance. Mrs Davies, who stated that she was a New Zealander, said that women were quite willing to pay the unemployment tax so long as they were recognised by the Government, which should either give them work or sustenance. Single men who went into camp got their keep and shelter and 10s to 12s a week. She suggested that the Unemployment Board should put women into some suitable job at 22s a week or pay them sustenance at that rate. Now Zealanders were at the head of the Government, but she was sorry to see how they wore letting their country down. (Applause.) Women were not going to seek charity from the Hospital Board. They paid the tax when in work, and were a Government responsibility just as much as the men were. Forcing women to pay the tax and making no provision for them was imposing on the womanhood of the dominion.

“If you cannot put us on the same footing as the men,” concluded the speaker, “ let the Government be men and admit ‘ We cannot do it, so we will resign.’ ” (Loud applause.)_ Replying, the Minister said the Unemployment Board was getting into touch with the central women’s organisation to ascertain the requirements, and it'would make every endeavour to provide for those requirements. When an interjector asked “ What about paying sustenance if no work is provided for women?” the Minister retorted that be could not go into that question until the Central Committee had reported. After explaining the financial difficulties of the Government, Mr Coates assured the deputation that the board would do its best for workless women in keeping with the resources at its disposal.