WIVES’ RIGHT TO WORK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18249, 18 November 1933, Page 12

WIVES’ RIGHT TO WORK

REFUSAL A BAR TO MARRIAGE FINANCIAL REASONS LONDON, October 13. The right, of married wumen to wor was strongly championed at the con ferenco of the National Council o Women at Torquay. Mrs Eva Hnrtree, of Cambridge said that there had been a general ai tack on married women’s paid work which was not confined to this conn

try. In Germany 150,000 youii women had been bribed to leave imho try to get married.

“AVe claim, however,” site said “that it is a fundamental right of every individual regardless of sex ft sell his or her labor for gain, j “After till, it is a private mattei between a woman and her husband how they arrange their lives. It is 'no business of the employer. The only business of the employer is whether the work is well done and what payment should he given for it. “An investigation in Germany as to why married women remained at work gave SO per cent, who were obliged to for linanciul reasons. Then it has been said there should not be two incomes going into one house. But every man who is-earning an income of more than subsistence level is taking two incomes into the house.

“As to the objections raised by single women, every single woman is potentially a married one, and her point of view alters entirely when she realises that she cannot marry unless she gives up her work.” THE MORAL ASPECT.

Mrs Hart roe added that perhaps one of the gravest aspects of this question was that the refusal to allow married women to work was putting an obstacle in tho way of marriage. “We all know that young people aro the worse for having to wait to get married,” she said. “It has a shocking effect upon young people that they cannot marry until the thirties.

11 Why not let them have their happy time together when they can enjoy it? To make a woman give up her work on marriage leads to many secret marriages, and even to a great number of immoral marriages—of people living together." Mrs Oliver Btrachey said that men were not earning enough money nowadays to support wives and families, and unless women were allowed to work to help to support the families they would, not exist at all.

, The delegates passed a resolution recording their opinion that regulations having the effect of dismissing women on marriage were unjust, uneconomic and contrary to public interest.