MR HALL-JONES MEETS WOMEN

Southland Times, Issue 23634, 8 October 1938, Page 12

MR HALL-JONES MEETS WOMEN

Effect Of Policy Of Labour Party ADDRESS DELIVERED TO BIG MEETING Several aspects of the direct effect of the policy of the Labour Party on women were pointed out by Mr F. G. Hall-Jones, National candidate for Invercargill, at a big meeting of women in the yictoria Hall yesterday afternoon. , , Mrs R. N. Todd presided, ana associated with her were the chairmen of several women’s branches of the National Party in Invercargill. Mrs Hall-Jones, who was also present, received a bouquet of spring flowers. The meeting was an enthusiasticone, and a vote of confidence in Mr HallJones and the National Party, which was proposed by Miss C. McLeod and seconded by Mrs R. Russell,. was carried with only one dissentient voice from the back of the hall. When he entered the hall, and again whe*i he rose to speak, Mr. Hall-Jones was greeted with prolonged applause. In introducing Mr Hall-Jones, Mrs Todd reviewed his career, mentioning his activities in business, in public life and in sport, and his success as a school pupil and later as a student. Mr Hall-Jones paid a warm tribute to his wife for her care and consideration for him during his arduous campaign and he spoke of the loyalty shown to him by his friends and supporters, specially the women, who had taken an interest in the organization of the party before the enthusiasm of the men had been roused. • “I want to emphasize in this campaign that I am not here to. represent wealth or anything of that kind. Those people can look after themselves, but the' people who need to have their interests looked after in Parliament are those who stand to win or lose by the Government. It is the man in all walks of life who needs a sound stable Government that I am interested in. The more I look into politics in this country the more convinced I am that if the banks are taken over by the State and the value of the pound drops it is the useful man who will be affected.

EFFECT ON HOME LIFE “I want to emphasize the attitude of the National Party towards home not that the other party opposes it, but it has a different outlook,’ he said. “Take, for instance, owning your own home. You women understand, that—the pride you take in it and in its garden. People living in State houses miss all that. We want to see Pe°P le self-supporting and independent of the State as far as possible, while not forgetting assistance for those it. We want to see self-reliance. Speaking of the Social Security Act, Mr Hall-Jones said that the stage had been reached when it had come to be called the “Social Insecurity Act because it promised so much that dangei lay in that the time would come when those promises could not be kept . A doubt had risen and was growing throughout the country that such vast promises could not be kept. “The aspect which directly effects women is that they all have to be registered under the Act, also children over the age of 16 years,” said Mr HallJones. “Wives complain that husbands can register a wireless for 25/-, a dog for 10/- and a wife for 5/-. Members of the National Party moved amendments against taxing women and children under the Act, and the member for Invercargill, Mr Denham, was one who voted against it” He also stated that the domestic servant. would have' to pay a tax for the first time, and not only on what she earned, but also on the keep supplied to her.

UNEMPLOYMENT POLICY The Labour Party’s unemployment policy had a disastrous effect on the women of the country, said Mr HallJones. He knew of an instance when because of the impossibility of getting farm labortr, a woman had to do the milking and take her baby to the cowshed with her so that she could mind it at the same time. He also knew of a farmer’s wife who had to keep her son at home from school to assist with the lambing and had been fined for doing so. The State pay-roll was increasing and the farmer’s pay-roll was decreasing because men preferred the hours and work on public works. “I almost don’t need to mention the cost of living,” he said. “You all know as much about that as I do. You know how the cost of food, clothing and coal and everything else has gone up, ana that money doesn’t go as far as.it used to. That rise in the cost of living hits the working man’s wife more than anyone else. Take a working man earning £5 a week, which is not a big wage as wages go today, and Uncle Scrim getting £l5OO a year. That is six times as much, yet his household does not need six times as much coal and food, etc., so you can see that it is the working man’s wife who is affected.” Mr Hall-Jones ended his address by paying a tribute to the leader of the National Party (the Hon. Adam Hamilton). “I visited his electorate, and I am firmly convinced that he is going back with a bigget majority than he did last time,” he said. “I think we can claim that in Southland after next Saturday night we will be 100 per cent National.”

MR F. G. HALL-JONES AT CLIFTON VOTE OF THANKS AND CONFIDENCE ' Mr F. G. Hall-Jones, National candidate for Invercargill, addressed a meeting of 28 persons at Clifton last night. Mr J. J. Richards presided. Mr Hall-Jones received a very attentive hearing and there were no inteirjections. At the end of the address several questions were answered. On the motion of Mr J. Calvert, seconded by Mrs F. C. Beere, a hearty vote of thanks and confidence was carried, with only a few dissentients. MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AT GISBORNE (United Press Association) GISBORNE, October 7. An audience which filled the Opera House last night gave the Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) an enthusiastic reception when he delivered a two-hour address. A vote of confidence in the Labour Government and Mr D. W. Coleman as candidate was declared carried unanimously.