EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK IS WHAT WOMEN WANT

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6911, 17 May 1929, Page 6

EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK IS WHAT WOMEN WANT

Should Married Women Teach?

NATIONAL COUNCIL PROBLEMS Per Press Association. GISBORNE, May 16. “That the principle of equal pay for equal work for women in every department be recognised by the Government.” This remit from the Gisborne branch cf the National Council for Women was moved at the Dominion conference by Mrs. H. J. Walker, who pointed out that unequal remuneration was objected to as much by men as by women since it imputed that women were given many positions at a lower wage which would otherwiso have gone to men. In seconding tho motion Miss Os* borno (Gisborne) stated that tho fault lay very often with women who wore too apathetic to sarive for their rights. Miss A. Basten (Auckland) suggested that the remit be altered to the following: “That the council urges that the principle of equal pay for equal work tor women in every department should be recognised by the Government.” Miss E. A.r Chaplin (Christchurch) pointed out that this had been a bone of contention in the teaching profession for many years. Once upon a time there was not “M. and F.” at tho head of the teachers’ pay sheets but there was to-day. Mrs. E. J. Moore (Wellington) stated that efforts were made to combine men and women in the Post and Telegraph Department to sccuro equal pay for both sexes, but many of the women would not join the movement. The remit was then carried. Married Women Teachcers. Wellington brought forward the following remit: “That the National Council of Women should approach the Minister of Education asking that marriage should not be a bar to tho employment of women teachers.” The remit was moved by Mrs; Henry Smith. Miss Osborne (Gisborne) inquired whether there were specific instances of employment being refused to married teachers. Miss Whitelaw (Dunedin) stated that no married women teachers were employed in Otago unless the husbands were injured or otherwiso incapacitated from earning. Miss Ferner (Auckland) advanced tho view that according to tho law of the case any position should go to the applicant with the highest grading whether man or woman. Should such an issue be taken to the courts she believed that it would be so decided. Miss E. Melville (Auckland) pointed cut that it cost the country a good deal to train each teacher, so why should not the State get the benefit of that preparation? Mrs. J. Cook (Auckland) stated th 3 practice wa3 occasionally abused. She knew personally of one case where tho husband was very wealthy, yet his wife was employed as a teacher. The motion was carried.