WOMEN DISMISSED

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1932, Page 13

WOMEN DISMISSED

STATEMENT BY MINISTER

Recently the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr. D. G. Sullivan, M.P.), represented the cases of hardship of nine charwomen who were dismissed from the Government Buildings in Christchurch to tho Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. A. Hamilton), but no relief is to be afforded them (states the "Christchurch Times"). The Minister, in replying to the Mayor, stated that he had given attention to the cases of tho charwomen. He was informed that full investigation was made so that there was as little hardship as possible caused by the economies which were effected. Ho would like to point out, he added, that the places of the nine charwomen who had been retired had been filled by three married men, all of whom, he believed, were returned soldiers. The change would also effect a saving of £364: a year. Although there was, no doubt, real hardship in the case of the women retired, they had to remember the assistance the Department was giving to the three married men, and also the amount of saving that would be effected.

Tho dismissed women included widows who were not in receipt of pensions for technical reasons, deserted wives, and unmarried women who were supporting relatives. In representing their positions to the Mayor they pointed out that they had obligations such as families to support and mortgaged homes.

In commenting on the Minister's reply, the Mayor stated on Wednesday that it was clear that the Government had effected a saving at the expense of the nine women who were without other breadwinners, and had to carry out obligations that were usually the burden of a father or a husband. In making the saving tho Government was sheltering itself behind the employment of two or three returned soldiers only.