MISS MELVILLES TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 68, 17 September 1930, Page 15

MISS MELVILLES TOUR

TALK TO UNIVERSITY WOMEN"

'I'be'.comfprtabte" club room of the University Women's- Club was well filled yesterday afternoon, when Miss Melville gave -an interesting address on the present business situation, with a special appeal to women for the help they can and should give. Miss Melville said she was glad to meet a group; of women, who, by their education, and1 training, would naturally have, great influence, and would recognise ■ the importance of her subiect. While representing the Manufacturers' Association, she was a perfectly free agent in talking. She was giving forth' her own ideas and from her own information.- She- felt that the discussions on unemployment were too much" "in, .the air," and that what was wanted was practical .work, bhe regretted that-.thert were no women m Parliament, as.she felt that their natural- practicality .would have been ot great service. But quite half the women of-the country were either ra- ; different or antagonistic, and nothing 'could be done'till they came to a better state of .mind. ' "She-felt that really there was no excuse for unemployment in a country which had bo many natural advantages as' New Zealand. The old countries where, this trouble was so acute were highly industrialised and fully developed, but it was entirely different here where few of the many resources were even half-developed. The soil was one valuable asset, the climate another; tho. single x.-Mse of people, which made for■ resemblance Jn j colour, creed, ' and language, and a ! likeness in thought, all constituted an enormous advantage !. Miss Melville urged that while this was all to the good in one way, it yet made for a satisfaction that prevented the people from having a keenness of the American (for instance) in seeking for knowledge. They "wanted to know." The ■ British-New Zealander thought he knew nearly everything. Another asset was the health of the people, who (statistically) were the healthiest in the world. She deprecated that saying "put the people on the land" expressed so often by comfortable "armchailr" people who would not think of saying "como with me upon the land." A rajm needed personality, inclination, and money to go upon, tho land with any chace of success, unless, he went just as a labourer without any chance of rising. She then made an earnest appeal for work for women and girls, and developed her idea that the Now Zealand women might help their less fortunate sisters by buying New Zealand goods, thus creating trade, making for business: prosperity, and relieving the anxie-ty of.1 parents who dreaded the cessation of school days and the weary looking for work for .their sons and daughters, of- j ten impossible to find. These things were all wrong in. a. coutnry such as I Now Zealand. She urged the import-, anco of using the raw materials liere,! and not sending them away to deteriorate or be adulterated.

She spoke of the fine quality of New Zealand goods, and.the- folly of imagining' that beeauao; things were made in other countries that they must be bettot than the home-products. If New Zealand developed her own natural advantages and used- hex own produe-, tions she need.not fear oversea markets nor immigration. She showed what a great sum of money was spent each year in giving the children a good practical education in as good surroundings as possible, and in providing dental and other services. This was done in order to build up fine, healthy, educated citizens. And then they turned them'out—to what? Let women think over the waste of money caused by this state of things, not to mention the waste of good citizens, and resolve to do everything possible in tho way of making their purchases for the benofit of their country, as well as of themselves—not merely running after "cheapness", but buying wisely from all points of view.

The vote of thanks accorded the speaker wns a very hearty one.

i Miss Melville Avill speak at the Lyceum. Club, 115, Lambton quay, i.bis evening :i.t 8 o'clock, when, all inl.orf.sii'd. will Ije'welcome. Thu clul.) lins iinifle it. an "open n.iglit."