HOUSEWIVES’ UNION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23859, 13 July 1939, Page 18

HOUSEWIVES’ UNION

ADDRESS BY MRS S, TOWNEND At an open monthly meeting ol the Housewives’ Union Mrs S. Townend gave an address on " Women’s Fight for Security and Freedom in England. As the speaker had spent some years in social work in Leeds, England she gave an account of the slum area there with its grinding poverty and bad conditions of the workers. Malnutrition and other evils v/ere rampant Though the authorities had outlined a cheap nutritious menu for the people it cost at least 22s 6d weekly, which, out of a weekly allowance of 35s for a family meant starvation An old age pension of 10s had to be augmented by other means. Certainly the Government had* established training centres for people to learn various trades, but when the training was completed there was no work offering, for out of a population of 500,000, 20,000 were unemployed The people had become apathetic and difficult to arouse to a sense of resistance against a system which entailed such evils. Kinema ahd football were the only amusements of the majorityno home comforts or change of. environment from smoke-begrimed streets and dwellings. Among social workers were the members of women's institutes, guilds and unions of all kinds, some of which catered only for the more well-to-do classes and none of which sought to relieve the causes of poverty and unhappiness. Some advocated peace, bui acquiescence and a capacity for resignation could be women’s greatest enemies. The speaker urged that women should take a positive stand and definitely form together to eradicate wrongs in their midst. Though palliatives, such as free dinner, milk

etc., were better than nothing, yet they were ineffectual in so far as they failed to offer a solution to social problems. The problem of equal distribution of foodstuffs had to be faced: women could also study economic problems; campaigns could be started on a large scale, as Mrs Townend herself had participated in one in Leeds. There processions with large posters were held women patrolled the city as sandwichmen, and pageants and other functions brightened the streets and drew appreciative crowds. Outdoor meetings were preferable to indoor ones In Leeds, millions of leaflets were distributed touching on the relation of poverty to war and seeking to educate the people on the art of right living. Mrs Townend quoted from Ethel Mannin’s novel, “ Cactus,” in which she advocated “ war against a system which makes war.” Mrs Blandford moved a hearty vote of thanks to the speaker, and while supper was served the women plied the lecturer with interesting questions.