Women Urged To Think For Themselves

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 May 1949, Page 2

Women Urged To Think For Themselves

An appeal to women to think for themselves when they go to the polls at the next election and not to listen to their husbands was made by Mrs G. H. Ross (Opposition. Hamilton) in an address in the Parnell electorate, Auckland. She was accorded a vote of thanks, cheers, and musical honours by an enthusiastic audience of nearly 300. If any one body of people had suffered from the inconveniences and shortages of the day it was the women, said Mrs Ross. Many women showed little interest in politics and adopted the attitude: “Bill will tell me what to do.” Depending On “Bill” “Don’t be such fools as to depend on Bill,” said Mrs Ross. “We women must think for ourselves and vote as we think. After 14 years of Labour Government here we are running round with candles and torches. How much longer are you women going to put up with it? “It is all very well for these Communists,’’.she continued, in mentioning the part Communists had played

in recent industrial unrest. “Do any of them live by the sweat of their brow? I bet they do not.”

Mrs Ross said that last November the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, had forgotten that he sent a telegram to Moscow and the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, recently forgot the price of Carlton House. When they began to lose their memories it was time they lost their seats. Old Age Pensioners Any suggestion that the National Party would cut pensions was about the silliest thing ever said, Mrs Ross continued. Nothing could be more deplorable than the plight of old age pensioners. It was ridiculous that men and women should not be allowed to work after the age of 60. Her party had a scheme which would enable these people to continue working. t Deploring the leniency at present being extended to murderers, Mrs Ross said she had always favoured the retention of capital punishment. Such terrible murders had been committed recently that every ’woman would help in the hanging of the culprits. Mrs Ross also criticised' the frequency of Ministerial trips abroad. She said it was a case of “ipj I }, Government and see the world. A Minister no sooner left a plane than another got into it.