PROVIDING HELP IN THE HOME

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23977, 18 June 1943, Page 4

PROVIDING HELP IN THE HOME

WOMEN WITH YOUNG FAMILIES SUGGESTIONS MADE BY MRS GRIGG “If you want to encourage women to have larger families, you must make it easier for them,’’ said Mrs A. w. Grigg (Opposition, Mid-Canterbury) in her Budget debate speech in the House of Representatives to-day. Better housing, cheaper labour-saving devices, the organisation of a corps of household aids, and an extension of the maternity benefits to provide rest homes were among the suggestions she made. Criticising the Government’s housing scheme, Mrs Grigg paraphrased the saying “too little and too late” as too few and too expensive.” It seemed to her really dreadful that, in one instance she knew of, a man who had returned from the war and. his wife were living in a room 9ft 6in square. It had no sink and 12 persons living in the house all used the same bathtboiA. They paid 25s 6d a week for the room. In the country some women were living in dreadful houses without any convenience*. Now that camps had been built, and aerodromes completed, She urged that all possible resources should be diverted to housing. Public buildings could wait. When she went past some magnificent buildings she could not help thinking how many homes could have been built, and how many families relieved of the thought Of their children being brought uo in squalor. The orlgihal idea of State houses Was good, and the Government’s promises Were excellent, but unfortunately all those promises did not come off. Woman’s Hard Life “What makes life hard for a woman?’’ asked Mrs Grigg. She gave four causes—the incessant nature of her work, Its monotony, the difficulty of getting someone to take her place While she had a holiday, and lack of labour-saving devices to offset the lack of labour. She was not concerned With women who had time to spare to play tennis, golf, and bridge. She Was much concerned about women with young families. Something must be done to help them. One way the National Party suggested was by removing the duties on electrical labour* saving equipment. Praising the work of the housekeepers’service of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union, Mfs Grigg advocated the provision of help in homes. Men were given annual holidays, but there was nothing to provide that a woman should have an annual holiday, and they could not get anyone to take their places while they were away, or if they became Sick. The National Party’s plans provided for the recruiting of women, for this service, uniforming them, and giving them the status of a trained profession. That had been done for Karitane nurses, who had been raised from the status of nurse girls to that of nurses, proud of their training and their uniform and a source of comfort to many anxious mothers. The maternity benefit had been a boon, said Mrs Grigg, but she would like to see it extended by the provision of a stay in a convalescent or rest home after confinement, and in some cases before. In Russia mothers were given a rest period of eight weeks, but In New Zealand they had to go home after a fortnight to heavy work. She was told that the rate of operations for trouble after childbirth in New Zealand was exceptionally high. Prevention of Sickness New Zealand spent a lot of money In the treatment of sickness, but she would like to see more spent in its prevention. New Zealanders should be ashamed and distressed that there was So much sickness. The National Party would start in the schools by the restoration of the old service. She referred to the success of the New South Wales system of having mobile clinics to go round schools, and to the value of the X-ray examinations Of recruits for the services. By these means diseases were detected in the early stages when they could be more easily checked.

Mrs Grigg said they should encourage youth to take advantage of fresh air and sunshine, to take part in sports, instead of sitting on the sidelines watching. They should be encouraged to take a pride in their strong, fine, healthy, clean bodies, and so avoid the distress they heard of so often with others. She was deeply concerned at a lower standard of conduct, by which some were ruining their lives and bringing misery to themselves and to those who loved them. They should use any influence they had, in co-operation with others, to avoid the waste and misery caused by foolishness.