The Woman's Part

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 620, 23 March 1929, Page 7

The Woman's Part

“New Zealand Made ” To Be Her Slogan \ NATIONAL PROSPERITY Though she may but rarely give i the question any thought, a woman has obligations other than to keep her husband well fed and her home clean and tidy. JT is sometimes thought platitudiu ous to speak of the woman's parr, jin national life and the somewhat | cynical point of view is more often j adopted that, once married, a woman's , interests are purely domestic. i It behoves every woman to examine carefully her household expenditure, and see what proportion of her om goings are to benefit workmen in faroff countries. It is the essentials of life and the smaller luxuries that NV» Zealand manufacturers produce, uoi so much the articles involving a large sum. and these small things are. in nine cases out of ten. left to the house wife to buy. It therefore lies within her province to buy New Zealand made, and so doing, keep the wheels of New Zealand industry running smoothly. It is surely not a happy thought to have to face the fact that, through neglect on the part of women who could so easily have acted differently, money has gone to swell the purses of aliens, while the culprits men folk are searching desperately for the work which should be their right. Nor is it only in their own marketing that women may help on the cause. Any woman can tell hon thoughtless her husband is, and it should be easy for her to persuade him that his interests, being one with hers, are bound up in the progress of industry. Whether he be a plum her or a poet, a shoemaker or a school master, he must benefit by his wife's I good sense.

Wherever one turns in the home ' there is some little thing that could ! have been bought “New Zealand- | made.” Food, such as jam and j canned fruit, brushes, clothing, drinks, as cordials and wines, books, musical instruments, house furnishings—all are made in the Dominion, There are other departments of home life equally deserving of attention, but space does not permit an enumeration. To take one specific instance, however, consider clothing, and particularly the £25 worth of apparel that the husband wears when he steps through the gate on his way to work. Shoes, socks, underclothing, garters, braces, shirt, tie, hat, overcoat —even his umbrella might have come from the factories of his country, but, did they? One must admit that, according to figures that cannot be doubted, it is more likely that they did not. Yet it is a poor wife that has not sufficient influence over her husband to suggest the advantages of an out fit that is as truly New Zealand as the man inside it. The wearer of Dominion products loses nothing in his appearance, and should gain in selfrespect and national pride. Women may sometimes be pre judiced against the local article when it is a little more expensive, than j an import, though, thanks to modern j methods of production, such is not J often the case. On the face of it I this may appear a sound objection, but it must be remembered that noth : ing is cheap to those without the money to buy; and the failure of New Zealanders to support their own industries, even less than they now do, would soon mean an impoverished people struggling to maintain a foot- ; hold on that high plane of living | which has so long been our greatest j pride. The weakening of industry ! would also mean a drift to the ranks ; of casual labour, and what wo. - - - wishes to see her men in those „nI happy ranks? Let women consider how great is j their power, and that their country’s j progress is in their hands, and the j realisation of the fact should mark the dawn of a new era in New Zeaj laud’s economic history. KEEPING THE HOME CLEAN “TOPS-ALL CLEANSER” J In **, modern home there axe so manv J different kinds of things to clean that the housewife almost needs a dozen different cleaners. If the wonderful cleanser “Tops-All’' is used, however, it can be used to make everything clean, cheerful and pleasant. “Tops-AU” is perfect for instantly removing grease from all kinds of woodwork, tables, shelves and floors, also for washing greasy dishes, plates, kitchen sinks, washbasins and baths. “Tops-All” will keep all the kitchen utensils sweet and free from all odours, and will make the bath tub, bowl and tiling snowy white. It also removes grease from carpets, clothing and oilv overalls. In addition to all these uses, ‘TopsAll” is the right thing for printer’s hands, and restaurants and butchers tind it invaluable. It is unsurpassed for engineers and motorists and will quickly remove any kind of paint, grease or tar from the hands, besides being quite harmless to the skin. This great cleanser is a New Zea - land product, and in fact is made by the makers of the famous “Taniwhu soap. The manufacturers report that quite a good demand is springing up for this popular line. MINERAL SALTS IN SOIL WHITE ISLAND PRODUCTS MAINTAIN PROPORTION Mineral salts are as essential to animal life as they are to vegetable life. Only when the herd receives the cor- ; rect proportion of mineral salti through the pasture can quality and | flavour be maintained. The recent comment on the 1 orating flavour of New Zealand dairy produce is stated by authorities tr. ! be due to the heavy annual application of artificial fertilisers. While 'these i fertilisers speed growth of pasture they produce an unbalanced diet and thus certain essential mineral salts artlacking in the pasture. The farmer knows how overfeeding swedes produces a strong flavour in dairy produce: the same condition obtains when stock feed on unbalanced pasture. When pasture is dressed ! with "White Island Product, all the es- ! sential mineral salts are supplied to the stock through the herbage and in I a properly balanced form. White Island Product supplies sulphates, iron, potassium, calcium, macr- ; nesium. etc.j it also assists nitrification and renders soluble the natural | plant foods in the s«il.