UNEMPLOYED WOMEN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 2, 2 December 1931, Page 2

UNEMPLOYED WOMEN.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —‘Kindly permit me some space in your paper in order to bring before the public concerned ‘some urgent matters in connection with unemployed women.

(1) The number of women and girls at present unemployed is by no means fully shown by the official figures, obtainable. Official figures are very low, whereas we all know there are many hundreds of women out of work. Do the authorities realise that many women do not know how to set about registration, and that many more women fear to register in case it should involve tho disclosure of private affairs with regard to relatives as well as to themsc-lves? Cannot a facsimile of the registration form bo published showing exactly the statements that have to be made and giving full particulars of the Bureau of Registration ?

(2) Is it not possible to organise women’s work similar to that of men? Need a thousand trained teachers, for example, bo unemployed, whon a suitable scheme could give them two or three days’ work in the week? So, too, with offices. Staffs have been reduced hurriedly to meet altered circumstances, but in many cases those left find themselves compelled to work overtime in consequence. Cannot this be adjusted in such a way that many now unemployed can be reinstated. (3) In view of the fact that women now contribute to the Unemployment Fund, cannot some of the schemes in operation for unemployed men be adapted to meet the case of unemployed women? It was thought at first that there were -not enough avenues of employment for women to make it possible to include them in Government schemes, and so women were not asked to contribute. But the position has altered. Women are now contributing and some immediate action is necessary to ensure that some proportion of the contributed money goes to unemployment relief for women. There is .in existence an arrangement whereby employers of labour pay only part of the wage—the Government paying the remainder. Might not this be done in regard to domestic work? Many women who need domestic help are doing without it because they are unable to pay the full wage, and so a potential avenue of employment is closed. A Government subsidy, wisely administered, would correct this. Great danger, of course, lies in exploiting. It is to be feared that some employers of labour are guilty of this, and while able to pay are taking advantage of the Government offer.

(4) The various “institutions” and “homes” which are these days very hard pressed must have piles of sewing to be done—ready for the winter —and would surely be glad for women to do this work. Surely that could be paid for out of the fund. (5) It would be interesting to know just how much money is being contributed to the Unemployment Fund by the women of this country. Is it not a fact that a committee including two women was set up by the Unemployment Board to investigate this problem of unemployed women? Has a report of that committee been drawn up and published? Surely it should be public property ere this. (6) The country should wake up to this matter at once, and see that the -whole question be sharply investigated.—l am, etc., L. HARGREAVES, President, Wellington branch Women Teachers’ Association. Wellington, Ist December, 1931.