Women’s Spending Power

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 990, 5 June 1930, Page 9

Women’s Spending Power

PLEA FOR N.Z.-MADE GOODS Practical Patriotism Urged EMPHASISING that as women generally controlled the greater proportion of the Dominion’s spending power, Miss-Ellen Melville, addressing members of the Lyceum Club last evening, impressed on the assemblage that they eould therefore influence trade by purchasing New Zealand-made goods. It was women’s opportunity and responsibility to demonstrate practical patriotism, the lecturer declared.

The address signalised the opening of a campaign among women’s organisations in Auckland being undertaken by Miss Melville, lecturing on behalf °f Auckland Manufacturers’ Association on manufacturing industries. The lecture was listened to with rapt interest by a large attendance of members. “The Auckland Manufacturers’ Association has asked me to address women’s organisations, and advocate buying New Zealand-made goods,” said Miss Melville, after expressing appreciation of the opportunity of presenting the subject to club members. There were many reasons why women should purchase articles produced in the Dominion, and accruing advantages and ways in which women could assist in this aim. Miss Melville referred to the trite saying often uttered by men, “Men earn he money, and women spend it.” She answered this with the commentary, “Any fool can earn money, but it is the wise person who can spend it judiciously,” which she claimed applied t:o this important subject.

. How can we best cure or greatly reduce unemployment, which is a most serious problem which touches all P?' r , ts l , oC the community?” asked Miss Melville, While all hoped it was a passing phase, in her opinion unemployment should not be regarded as inevitable in a young country like Xew Zealand, with -ts opportuntles and potentialities, which were not available in the older industrial count”ef; This state of affairs should be challenged, and a remedy should be sought. Surely there was something wrong with New’ Zealand when sufficient work could not be found? In pointing to the suggestion that there was no room for more people in New Zealand. Miss Melville referred to the population of 40,000,000 supported by Ja^ a ’ xT hlC t was about the same size as the North Island, principallv in agricultural pursuits. "POLICY OF DESPAIR” „YTY trouble Is that we have been f-fJP t iS Br * A pol i cy of despair, an attitude that has been largely man’s, and we as women have been satisfied to -r.fi?* T continued Miss Melville. JfJA n °, ti , n , le Til with aII the same c tizensh T >U ?K a< U Pt the Privileges of citizenship. I believe we could achieve <iea ! , of Practical good in solvlng the problem,” she added. Evervthat there should be more land settlement, which would be bene»Cja‘ aa a primary cure for unemployment, Miss Melville said, but no matits New Zealand Increased ‘ H agricultural produce a market could always be found for it ~_iicultural industries were Important beeause they were the main sources ?i° n S export wealth, and she believed the public did not need to exercise its mind about increasing prodljction in this direction. . im? iV,rf I ,^?° l rtanc T of the manufactur,HtUln<iu^ ries ’ tvhich were equally as yi tal as those of agricultural production, must not be obscured declared Miss Melville. Manufacturing undertakings were complementary to agi-i----rul. Ura ,u production and each helped the other. The latter, however, did T eQU , rC t, he sa me degree of thought and practical support as did the manufactories. It must be recognised that land settlement was not the only remedy for unemployment, and side by side with- it must be industrial development. Many people were not fitted temperamentally or physically to go on to the land, -which required certain types to make successful farmers, just as did professions to make good businessmen. It was therefore essential to have an industrial population and every family living in the city must find remunerative and productive employment. Miss Melville pointed out that New” Zealand had spent many millions in developing one of the world’s finest hydroelectric power systems which, using the Dominion’s agricultural products as a basis, should be employed to provide work for thousands "of people who were unable to go on to the land. The transformation here of New Zealand’s raw materials into food, clothing and footwear was surely better than sending all the raw materials overseas to return as manufactured articles, but not of the quality that could be produced in the Dominion. Miss Melville said she was informed that a large quantity of the woollen manufactured goods imported were not all wool.

“Those who know declare that New' Zealand-made goods can stand comparison in quality and price with any other country in the world,” Miss Melville continued. “The manufacturers claim we should take pride in that fact and that it is time we lost our inferiority complex and found a pride complex,” she added. Reasons were advanced why New Zealand indus--trial concerns should be able to produce manufactories second to none. The workers were intelligent, healthy and industrious, she said, and they were living under the best conditions in the world. The education system, too, was of a high standard which tended to produce intelligent workers. %OOD N.Z, GOODS’” “Our slogan should be ’Good New Zealand goods for New’ Zealand people,” declared Miss Melville. But she emphasised it was useless for industrialists to invest large capital establishing plants if they were not going to be supported, for it was to the Dominion public the manufacturers looked for the njarket for their wares. Miss Melville did not think New Zealand could hope to rely on overseas markets for its manufactories In competition with older established industrial countries, although New Zealand rugs and blankets had established a wonderful name for themselves. The cost of the establishment of industrial plants in the Dominion was in excess of that in England, France and United States because of its remoteness from the machinery-making centres. A manufacturer here might lay out a lot of capital in his under-

taking and produce the finest goods, Miss Melville said, but if he could not operate his plant to its fullest capacity all the year round, he could not produce economically or attain the highest efficiency. And this occurred when New Zealanders passed by local goods in preference for foreign, creating one of the greatest problems confronting producers at the present time. “If kindly public opinion and intelligent support was accorded New’ Zealand manufactories we would not need to worry about tariffs, declared Miss Melville. “And an intelligent housewife is better than any tariff. That public opinion was the manufacturers most valuable ally was recognised, by U,e industrialists here, who had agreed m her suggestion tinat her first ad- *. U Should be delivered to the Lvceum whose membership was 800 Strong, and which, she considered gave a definite lead to the women of Aucka h opportunity ana n I:UU Jffiilitv” continued Miss Melville, "and we are not being asked to

do anything that is going to cost us anything. but which will benefit us all.” Patriotism, like charity, begins at nome, but we prefer practical patriotism to charity. If we were practical patriots we would not need any assistance for the unemployed, and if we spent our money intelligently we would not require to raise unemployment relief loans and apply for Government subsidies. “It is better for us to get something for our money in New Zealand goods than to pay it to the Government in increased taxation to support the unemployed.” Miss Melville said men thought women did not know anything about finance, but they had the spending of most of it, and she urged all to discharge their duty to their own country first, problem was not being considered only for a moment, she said. Every year thousands of children leaving school had to be found some useful avenue of employment, and those children looked to their parents and the community to provide them with work, and whether these avenues were available depended substantially on the support given to the manufacturing industres. SLUR ON MANUFACTURES “Can we get good value for our money in New Zealand goods?” was a question often asked, Miss Melville said. In the old days a feeling had developed that to be good an article must come from Home, and unfortunately this had cast a slur upon our own manufactures. The speaker claimed further that in selecting goods people did not take the same trouble in inquiring and choosing New Zealand articles as they did with Home or foreign products. To be smartly dressed a woman thought she must have a gown from Paris, and altogether the feeling that to be up-to-date one must obtain one’s clothes, shoes or hats from outside New Zealand. How many women were there who claimed they could not wear New Zealand shoes, Miss Melville said. Yet if they went to the same trouble in selecting New Zealand shoes as in choosing the foreign product, they would be more than satisfied. Miss Melville deprecated the erroneous idea that New Zealand-made gowns were bound to be dowdy, and declared it was a fallacy to suggest that women could not buy fashionable clothes that were made locally. After pointing cut that New Zealand women were distinctive types, both in bodily structure and in the shape of heads, Miss Melville said that New Zealand manufacturers were modifying the latest creations from the world’s fashion centres to meet requirements, and she considered it far better for New Zealand women to take pride in their national type rather than slavishly to follow the fashions of women in other countries of entirely different type and style. Provided the support is forthcoming, New Zealand manufacturers can adapt English and French styles to needs. “It seems a great pity women don’t demand that locally manufactured articles should be branded ‘New’ Zea-land-made,’ and take pride in it,” Miss Melville asserted. If women demanded It. it would be done. We should demand it, and also that every hat, garment or shoe so branded should be guaranteed to be made in the Dominion.

Miss Melville emphasised that every article required for children’s wear could be made in New Zealand, either from the Dominion’s raw materials or from materials imported in bulk, duty free and made up here. A great deal of the value of the clothes remained in New Zealand through their being manufactured here. TOO EXPENSIVE? It was often suggested that people could not afford to buy New* Zealand goods because they were too expensive. But if New* Zealand manufactures were supported properly, the cost of production would be substantially reduced, Miss Melville stated. Miss Melville added that if every person in New Zealand spent another shilling a week on Dominion-made goods, instead of on foreign articles, it would mean another <£4,000,000 annually to this country. If the use of New 2:>ealand manufactories was doubled in one year, the factories would be working twice as hard, and the unemployment problem would be greatly minimised. “We are too casual and careless in ordering goods, whether food or clothes; everyone should demand New Zealand-made. SHOPPING PLEDGE A form of pledge, which women were being asked to sign, was submitted to the club by Miss Melville. The wording was to this effect: “I promise that when shopping I will always ask first for New Zealand goods, and provided the price and quality are satisfactory, I will purchase them in preference to foreign, thereby giving employment.” Miss Melville appealed to all to sign this pledge. At the conclusion of her address Miss Melville exhibited a number of lantern slides setting out the appeal of Sir Charles Fergusson and Lord and Lady Bledisloe, to use New* Zealand goods, and also a number of views of industrial enterprises in Auckland and other parts of New Zealand. The assemblage displayed tho utmost interest in Miss Melville’s announcement that every garment she was wearing had been designed and made in New Zealand workrooms. The lecturer was enthusiastically 1 thanked for her address. The club president, Mrs. Parkes. declared there was no more fitting time for women to set their thoughts against averting a j crisis than at present by buying New ! Zealand-made goods. * Women could , help by arousing interest in Domin-ion-made articles and fostering trade, a fact which must be apparent to every person loving this country, and especially to women who had to provide the meals. New Zealand could produce as good, if not better, articles than the I rest of the world. Mrs.’ Parkes said the ! club was proud that Miss Melville had been chosen as the apostle to urge 1 every woman to buy New Zealandmade goods.