COMING ELECTION

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32301, 18 August 1943, Page 5

COMING ELECTION

LABOUR CAMPAIGN OPENED ADDRESS BY MRS J. THORN WOMEN’S PART IN NEW ORDER The first shot in the election campaign of the official Labour candidate for Thames, Mr James Thorn, M.P., was fired by Mrs Thorn in the Mineis Hall last week when she addressed about 120 Waihi and district women. The Mayoress, Mrs W. M. Wallnutt, who .presided, welcomed Mrs Thorn and expressed her pleasure at the visit of a woman speaker who so ably presented the progressive point of view. Record of Achievement Mrs Thorn said that it was the first time a Labour Government had come to the hustings in a time of war. At other elections the Labour Party had come as violent critics of capitalist society, and armed with a policy of gradual change to a co-operative Stare. To-day the Government came with a record, of achievement in transformation and a policy of stabilisation in a war situation. In analysing the guaranteed price system for produce and its reflection on the lives of one section of wonien in the community, Mrs Thorn expressed the opinion that if, in spite of guaranteed prices, subsidies on manure, railage, etc., farming still remained the back-breaking drudgery the farmers’ leaders claimed it to be, then we were intelligent enough to find new ways of farming that would eliminate slavery.

Referring to the benefits of Social Security, Mrs Thorn outlined the particular benefits that were laying the foundations for the complete endowmentment of motherhood, which women must bring about in the new order. Social Security in New Zealand, Mrs Thorn claimed, had changed the fhce of society and, in contrast to Europe, all of it had. been achieved without one person losing his life.

She insisted that what we could do, Europe could do, without this welter of blood every second decade. -She read the Atlantic Charter and expressed the opinion that its general terms had to be made clear and tangible to every one of us. For Women To Choose In mentioning the fiftieth anniversary of the franchise of women in New Zealand, Mrs Thorn called to mind the efforts of men and women who had battled against the opposition of public men and an angry Press, and who were dubbed the“shrieking sisterhood.” In passing, it was impossible to leave out the name of Emmeline Pankhurst. Mrs Thorn said in closing that women could choose; they could support Labour in Government and gradually change society to suit their urgent needs and longing for the deepest and most complete fulfilment of their intense womanliness, which, with its emotion, was drained by the violence of war, by poverty, economic insecurity, and the artificial values of our class society. Capitalism misused the creative efforts of women. It could sweep back society with private enterprise, individual exploiting of commodities, rivalry in trade, jealously between nations, rapid accumulation of armaments, and, at the end of two decades, war again—more 1 bloody, more horrible. Mrs Carter moved a vote of thanks to Mrs Thorn and the completest confidence' in Mr Thorn and the Government. This was seconded by Mrs Boggs and carried. Afternoon tea was served and everybody met Mrs Thorn.