NEW ZEALAND LABOUR PARTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19498, 5 June 1925, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND LABOUR PARTY

DUNEDIN WOMEN’S BRANCH. The monthly of the Dunedin Women’s Brunch of the New Zealand Labour Party was hold in the 25th ult. Tho president- (Mrs Herbert) presided over a good at,., tendance, and welcomed newly-joined members. A vote of sympathy with the widow and family of tho late Mr Stephen Borcham was carried in the usual way on the motion of tho president, who referred to the late Mr Boreham aa one of the oldest and firmest supporters of the Labour movement, a pioneer who hail blazed the track for others. Correspondence on various matters was dealt with and a report on the Otago Labour Representative Council mootings was given by one of the delegates to that body. Mesdames Herbert, M’Larcn, and Ferguson were appointed delegates to the Campaign Fund Committee. In accepting an invitation to address the branch when in Dunedin, the sccietary of the Canterbury Hotel and Eestuarant Employees’ Union suggested that Labour women's brandies might interest themselves in the accommodation provided for employees in hotels and boarding-houses. This matter was hold over for consideration and investigation. The President brought before the meeting the stale of the Dunedin schools on the Elat, and suggested that a deputation Horn the parents should be formed to wait on tho Education Board to endeavour to bring about speedy improvement. To answer a probable suggestion that the cost of providing sufficient and proper school buildings and apparatus would be prohibitive, Mrs Herbert quoted figures showing the amounts spent respectively on war and education. Expenditure [or war purposes amounted to 33.8 per cent, of the total, expenditure for education to 15.1 per cent. Mrs Herbert then introduced the speaker of the evening, Mr J. Koberst, president of the Alliance of Labour, who delivered an earnest and instructive address on The Basic Wage,” winch he said women had not hitherto looked at in its widest sense. Women ought to co-operate whole-heartedly with men, especially in trades unions, to help in raising the basic wages and reducing the cost of housing.