NEW ZEALAND MOTHERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 45, 4 November 1946, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND MOTHERS

MUCH STILL TO BE DONE

HON. W. E. PARRY'S VIEWS

The vital part played by the mothers of any country in formulating its future, and of moulding its destiny, was emphasised by Hon. W. E. Parry, Minister of Internal Affairs, at the public meeting he addressed in the Regent Theatre last Wednesday evening. Mr Parry dealt mainly with the Government's humanitarian policy with regard to the mothers of New Zealand, be they settled with their families, widows or deserted wives.

Just as the cast of the iron in the foundry was dependent upon the| mould for its perfection, so he said, the mothers of the generations to come carried with theni the future standard of the citizenship of a nation. The lot of the average housewife was not an easy one. It was monotonous and nerve-wracking, whilst the duties of a mother of a young family were never .. ending, and left her many times envying the leisure and the social occupation of her less burdened sisters. What was mainly needed was the creation of the means whereby the worn-out mothers of this country could be given a break. A genuine holiday away from their family cares, so that they could return refreshed and willing to carry on again as ■ the home manager. It was necessary to establish rest homes, public nurseries and the like where this could be done, so that the mothers who in reality were the nation's first care could be given a better chance than they had had before. It was largely to that end that the Physical Welfare movement sponsored by his Department was created. He mentioned the deserted wife's case, and added that Labour was proud to say that she was now listed in the same category as the widow, and drew her own and the child allowance. Labour would definitely go on studying the case

of the mothers, and though much could still be done it would be carried out in the course of the Social Programme.