ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

Grey River Argus, 26 February 1943, Page 1

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

MISS HOWARD’S FIRST SPEECH

Makes Good Impression

[Per Press Association]

PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS, Feb. 25. The Address-in-Reply debate was commenced in the House of Representatives to-night by Mr. C. W. Boswell (Bay of Islands). The galleries and benches and the House itself were fairly well filled for the occasion. Mr. Boswell referred to the year of travail which lay behind us, but, he said, the occasion brought forth the, men, and we had been thrice blessed in our leaders. He eulogised our own forces in all the spheres in which they had been engaged, and paid a tribute to the Government’s war effort. In this connection, he referred to the heavy burden of work which had fallen oh individual Ministers, and paid a special tribute to the Prime Minister, who. he said, had courage, insight, foresight, and ability. He had won the respect of the nation. Then too, said Mr. Boswell, there were the men and women who worked on the farms and in the factories and workshops, and our industrailists. all of whom were contributing splendidly to our war effort. Mr. Boswell then moved the formal motion that a respectful address be presented to His Excellency in reply to his speech. Seconding the motion, Miss M. Howard, the new Member for Christchurch East, who was making her first speech .in the House, was greeted with applause from both sides of the chamber. “We are leading the world to-day in Social Security.” she said. “I know from practical experience what Social Security means to the people of this country, and I know what it was like in this Dominion both before and after it was placed on the Statute books.” Miss Howard said that she had, for some time, been chairman of a committee dealing with relief in the city of Christchurch, and one had to go into the homes of the poor and invalids as she had, to realise the value of Social Security and of the Invalidity Pension. It was one of the greatest pieces of legislation that had ever been introduced in New Zealand, or in fact anywhere in the world.

Miss Howard added that, she was not an extreme feminist, but she did understand the woman’s point of view, and she l belonged to a Government which recognised that woman had something to contribute to the legislation of the country. For instance, she said, she had been in the House only two days but she had reached the conclusion, that the. .women of the House would have to band together to get rid of some of the old customs which were' outworn. She would suggest that the House Committee be scrapped, and that the women of the House should replace them. Members would then receive better service. She also had been told that no woman was allowed entrance to the Distinguished Strangers’ Gallery on the floor of the House itself. - Personally she did not see why a woman should not be given the same privileges there as men.”

Cries of “hear, hear.” 1 She also thought that women should have a place in the planning of houses.

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

The House rose at 8.50 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday.