CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 174, 25 July 1942, Page 4

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

WOMEN" AND THE WAR (To The Editor) Your sub-leader on the poor response of women to an appeal to enter the armed forces has prompted me to write this letter. For some time now I have been endeavouring tn brine to the notice of our Ministers and members of Parliament the need for an organisation to care for the children of soldiers wives and other women, thus enabling many thousands of married women to enter industry, and, m turn, releasing? vounger ones for service in the armed forces. So far, however, the only response has been a promise bv Mr. Mason to 190k into the matter when the question was raised in the House by Mr. Lee I do not intend to waste any more time writing to M.P.'s, they are milch too adept at the game of passing the buck." Women who have children are constantly asking at the placement office for part-time work, but so far the placement office has had none to offer. Soldiers' wives find it particularly hard to manage on their small incomes, especially those who are trying to keep their homes They should at least be given the chance to earn the necessary extra money. I have interviewed quite a number of people in responsible positions, ayd all have agreed that something should be done in this matter. Why, then, m the name of common sense, isn't it done? All other countries solved this problem at the beginning of the war. Their factories are working at full capacity. Almost every day we read in our papers something about women's poor response to an appeal to enter industry." The questions constantly recur to my mind. Does our Government really want an all-in war effort? Do thev really want women to enter industry? VERA ®3NNETT.