UNDER LABOR RULE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11405, 5 January 1931, Page 3

UNDER LABOR RULE

!bombshell IN; NEw.sonra '. ' , . WALES.

DISMISSAL OF MAR? lEJ I WOMEN.

SYDNEY, Dec. 24

At least 600 additional Government jobs will be created ; n New South Wales as the result of the definite policy that has been ,laid down ly the ne.w Minister of Education (Mr Dan vies)-, • whogwas' once ;a. miner, writes . “The ■ .Post’s”' 1 ' represeuta--He dropped' a bombshell at’ the: annual conference of the Teachers’ Association the other day when lie said that all married women whose husbands Were in employment and '•'•ere earning at least £5 a week wrib! be dismissed from the service. To use his own words, these women will “come under the axe.”, 'Their places w.’l be filled by young men and women wbo had beeii trained-at" the e\pense of the State and who,! were now -unable to , find Work. The Act would be amended to .make it compulsory f(.i a .woman to resign upon marriage. Mr Davies quoted install; is where a man and' his wife as teachers carried" bfetween'them hs much ns' £1026 a-year. Eight couple's r-avned* in a year £7287; that was to -say, each" couple average about ’ £9OO. There were more than 400 women teachers whoso husbands were employed outside the 'Dew tment, and an equal'number of temporary teachers whoso husbands were employed o lit.side the Department There were approximately 9>io women teachers. It had been found that approximately 300 of trie so were in poor circumstances owing to 'ho illness of their ’ husbands. Those women had nothing to fear. “It is. my intention,” said the Minister, “to incpiiro .whether, the husband can support hiV wife alone. Where the husband can.-Isupnort Ids wife, he.r. services will he dispensed with. I, have fixed the • amount of the husband’s salary sutiicieiit io support himself and : his wife nt £5 a week. Where the amouu<- earned is in excess of this the who will be dismissed. Probably 600 women v ill be dismissed under this scheme, an;, room will then be made for 600 young men and women who are waiting fro jobs.” When the matter came before the association 'there were some lively scenes, and the women have-made it quite plain-that they .will fight—j v es, and once again the fight,will be to the last ditch. It will probably divide the association into two distinct groups—-male and female. All speakers who were iii favor' of the Minister’s policy were cheered by the men and almost hissed by the women. It is feared that the women tvill fight a 10-sing battle, for outside the association they will have little sympathy. It. is perhaps only natural in these times that the Minister’s announcement should have been well ■received. There are many who have expressed a hope that the ' Government will go even further and make it illegal for any woman to work while her husband is in regular employment. Feminists have already feared this, and have laid their plans for a fight. They will be behind the women teacherg, for they consider that a big principle is at stake. But even the feminists cannot escape public opinion.