WOMEN'S MEETING

Otago Witness, Issue 3455, 1 June 1920, Page 45

WOMEN'S MEETING

HIGH COST OF LIVING

"PROMISE TO PRACTISE RIGID ECONOMY."

The worries meeting at Burns Hall on the 27 th was very largely attended, practically every sca;t being filled. The meeting had been called by the Women Citizens' Association lor the purpose of discussing the present high cost of living. The first speaker was Mrs Spence Clark (president of the association), who prefaced iier remarks by stating that the Women a Citizens' Association had been in existence long before the high cost of living had become such a vital question, and referring to tho many branches of civic welfare it had dealt with. Continuing, she said that they had had it emphatically brought home to them by the public, by the press, and by the various women's organisations that it was the duty of their association to make some attempt to reduce the prices of necessary commodities of life. The association had called a meeting of delegates from all women's organisations. The following associations had been represented:—The Otugo Women's dub, the National Council of Women, the Young Women's* Christian Association, the women students of the University the International Women's League, the Kindergarten Association, and the Women Citizens' Association. She wanted it to be quite clearly understood by that meeting of women, by the husbands, and by the press that they, as an association, in attempting to deal with this matter, objected very strongly to the word "boycOtt," also that they accused no partipular sectio:i of the community of "profiteering. Thi3 might tend to ease the minds of one section of the community which recently flung up ita hand 3 and cried "Kamarad! when they had really done nothing. "The wicked where no man oursueth. Had she not felt it .would be an act of rank cowardice to back out after being honoured by being appointed president of the Women Citizens' Association before this difficulty arose. sh« might not have had the courage to be' speifcng that i ight. It had been suggested to her by business men that she should be ill, that she go away, and that she do anything to wriggle out of speaking at the meeting. She would say to the husbands that they might just as well play tiddley-winks with Charlie in the kitchen as to imagine that they would answer any letters to the press.—(Laughter.) Since the war ended they had had a wild orgy of spending, and so long as they had an extravagant and thoughtlessly consuming public and a depleted world's market, so long would high prices rule. Such a movement as was suggested, which was not in any way a boycott scheme, but simply a plea for intelligent use of .their incomes and for careful and judicious buying, should be in no sense antagonistic to their local dealers. They should indeed welcome it. The practical and lasting solution of this question lay in educating the public much more than investigating profiteers. They did not want to advocate a lower standard of living for the people; they only wanted the people to get tho best they could for the money. To women of leisure and to those without special duties to perform, by which she meant to say a good day's work—real work,—she would .suggest tnat they bo specially urged to undertake . some work which would materially assist in producing necessities or assist in devisng some method of materially economising in tho use of food and clothing. To continue to consume without producing or assisting in the distribution of production was a tremendous wrong to the community, and the sooner this fact was driven home to the women of the community tile better for all concerned. A woman talks cheap. We want action.—(Applause.) The speaker said that was what they were there that night for. Continuing, she said to those girls who attended thei» offices in crepe de chine and ninon blouses, silk hose and high-heeled suede shoes she would say " Don't."—(Laughter.) It was not dignified. To be waited on as they sometimes were :'n food shops by young ladies attired in expensive georgette blouses was —well, in short, very bad taste. These were for evening wear, if - the young ladies did but know it. To mothers of girls she would say: Ceaso to make ridiculoue silken and lace underwear for your school girls. They might think this warning unnecessary; it was not. She had seen some bemg made. To the housewives who were buying eggs at 4s or more per dozen she would say: "You axe forcing up the price. Don't buy an egg until the price I s reasonable. Bring them down at least to 2s 6d before you consider buying another." Housewives must act unitedly to make this effective. Pass the word alon G from neighbour to neighbour, from friend to friend, that will not buy at such a price. They woxild then bo helping some sick child or woman to whom eggs wore a real necessity, and to whom such prices wero prohibitive. To tho woman who could afford six fires in her house she would say make one do. If butter went up in price do not buy—use dripping. If potatoes arc advanced' in price, leave them in the store until the price dropped. And one© again she would appeal to those of them who belong to the unemployed class —by this she meant those who were not doing a day's work. Don't be parasites on society. In conclusion, she would like to say that the Woman's Citizens' Association and all kindred associations which were helping them in this one big effort were not there as a shrieking sisterhood or for self-aggrandisement. The speaker then read the following re-

solution passed at the conference of local women's societies, which had been sent to the Prime Minister: —"That the Government take eteps to secure for the public supphes of woollen goods at a reasonable price, thus reducing the difference between tne price paid to the farmer for wool and the price of the manufactured article. Further, that the Government control the price of all dominion products in food and clothing, and that they should not be exported until the needs of the people had betn satisfied."

•The Prime Minister had replied stating that he had noted the representations contained in the resolutions, and that he would be glad to give them further consideration. —(Loud laughter.) Miss Raweon asked why was there so much food in the dominion and yet there wero such high prices, and answered the question by' stating that the food produced in New Zealand did not belong entirely to New Zealand—it belonged to the world, and was sent from place to place to meet the demand. Prices wero not fixed by the New Zealand demand, but by tho world demand If the prices which the people in New Zealand paid for certain commodities were too low, the producers would attempt to send them to other countries where prices were higher. It was interesting to know why the world's prices for certain commodities were so high. Ihere was tho overissue of paper monev in many countries of tho world Th;s over-issue deoreased the value of the currency, and they could, therefore, buy fewer commodities with their money. Almost every country in the world had made an over-iasue of oaper money. The production ol the world had also been greatly reduced since the beginning oi «ie war. There was also the fact of great uncertainty regarding certain businesses, and thiii made the' capitalist chary of investing hie money. If capital was not invested commercial enterprise* could not prosper.On the otner side, they had the artisans and labourers initictories, the fields, and workshops. These workers have learnt a different standards of living 6ince the war, and they were qu.te justified in dasinng tn* better standard. The point to her was not that the workers wero demanding shorter hours of work, but were they giving the best return over the hours worked? Let them support a movement that set a fair day's work and developed a national consciousness to give a fair return. At the present time there was no doubt that work was not being done as freely and efficiently as previously, but she believed that tins was only a phase of the transition stage through which they were passing. A is not up to the standard? Tho Chairwoman said that an opportunity to ask questions would be given at the close of the meeting. Continuing, Miss Rawson said that the supply of food and essentials had been decreased to such an extent that many people in the..world were not getting sufficient. . They must get a readjustment—it might be months, possibly years —before this could be brought about, as the devastated countries would need to recuperate before their - productivity was equal to that before the war. Consequently in other countries every effort was required to turn all energy and capital into the production of essential commodities. They must, therefore, endeavour to get Labour and Capital to How into nroductive channels, and if everyone restricted his or her consumption of luxuries they would find that Capital and Labour would devote their energies to tho production of essential goods. Prices for these essential goods would then come to a. fair level. The fair level at the present' time .however, would be higher than it was before the war. and that even if there were no profiteering at all. Profiteering was a very difficult subject to deal with, as most goods had to pass through so many hands before they reached the consumer, and how were they to know at which phase the profiteering took place. She knew that probably some retail houses in Dunedin had. made undue profits, but -their remedy was to buy only at those houses which charged a fair price. She. nevertheless, believed that many of their retailers were honest men. —(Applause.) Lei them, however, pay for the article, and not for the name of the firm. —(Applause.) She knew for a fact that some retailers had lost severely through fluctuating prices. If they bought only from the houses that charged a fair price and confined their purchasing to necessary goods only," they would go far to meet the present high cost of living.—(Applause.) . "A man came in," remarked the chairwoman, amidst loud laughter. "Is that in order, Mrs Dowling, for a person of the opposite sex to be present?" The person of the opposite sex withdrew Mrs Statham said that if they realised that the welfare of New Zealand depended on their exports they could not prohibit their export without reacting on the whole of the dominion. The only way to get over the difficulty was for the Government to nay the difference between a fair local prioe and tho export value out of the Consolidated Fund. . - A Lady (in an unconvinced tone): 1 hat s what they did with the butter.—(Laughter.) If they refused to buy luxuries and oniy bought necessaries, .they would stop the importation of such luxuries. Oooperative stores would do a lot to reduce the cost of living. If they brought the consumer into close touch with the producer, they would cut out a lot of the proseAt cost of handling. Under the Board of Trade Profiteering Committees had been set up, and it was their duty to bring any of the grievances under the notice of their local committee. People, however, appeared frightened to go along to the i'lofiteering Committee. ALacly: It's the fault of the warhouses.(L w£\ady: It's the paper currency. The First Lady:. It will be bectime at the rate we are going on. „„,w Continuing Mrs Statham said it would notte fa* to force the small farmers who had bought land at high prices-rheir soldier farmers especially—to accept .low prices. The Government, however, might have seen to it that the wealthy squatters had been asked to pay more during the war If they created a strong public sentiment thov would force the Government to do something. The matter was in their own hands. . Miss M'Lean said she wanted to emphasise the fact that the association did not take up this matter lightly. After earnest discussion they had decided, for the sake of the women with large families, that they would do their utmost to bring down the high cost of living. They asked_ for the co-operation of the women in their city.— (Applause.) The speaker referred to. the absolute neoessity of-economy and increased

production, but- said that under existing circumstances increased production seemed almost impossible, and they must therefore turn to economy, especially as regards the luxuries of life. In fact, they must do without the luxuries so that their poorer sisters might have sufficient. It was dreadful to think that the youth of the country might not be getting the meat and butter and bread that had made the New Zealanders tho virile race it was. The Women's Citizens' Association had drawn up the following promise: " I promise that for the next six months* to help to reduce the high cost of living I will practise rigid economy and not purchase anything but the necessaries of life." She sincerely hoped that for the next six months at least the women of Dunedin, would look exceedingly shabby.—Applause.) She believed that she was correct in saying that the women of Auckland had stopped wearing kid gloves, and were now wearing either woollen or cotton gloves. She asked them to come and sign this promise in their thousands. It would be taken on the streets tho next day. She asked them to come and sign it and do their little bit to make the world a better and happier place to live in.—(Applause.) Tho last speaker was Miss Begg. She said the question of the cost of livjng affected not only New Zealand,, but the people of the whole world. If every individual made up his or her mind not to buy anything but what was essential they kvould go far towarcls accomplishing a remedy.

A lady -wished to know why merchants had to nay on. the invoice value of gooda imported, not on the existing value at the time they were landed. The Chairwoman: WelL the Government is profiteering - . A lady in the back of-the hall, referring to the reply from the Prime Minister, said it was a " typical and delightfully ambiguous reply." If the women would only, take an active part, in the elections they would force the hands of the authorities. Another lady er.id that they should remember that 8,000.000 men had been killed during the war, and those who had come back were more dead than alive. That was a great factor in the reduction of production. She did not favour the suggestion that the working men were not turning out as much as before. If thev refused to buy that would only cause depression. The Chairwoman: Yes, but only buy necessaries.

A Chorus: That's all we can buy now.