KEEPING THE CRADLES FULL.

Taihape Daily Times, 30 May 1918, Page 4

KEEPING THE CRADLES FULL.

Sir,—The following paragraph appeared in your issue of last Satur-1 day:—"A woman with children is the biggest asset we can have, and 'we must back her up whenever we are seeking political aid," said Mr. Townsend (Wanganui) at the Second Division League's Conference in Wellington."—Just so, Mr. Editor. But let us for a moment consider how the woman with children is considered and. encouraged in this country of ours. How often do we see advertised in the papers: "Married couple wanted; no encumbrances"? By no stretch of imagination can the spirit displayed in a notice of this kind be considered encouragement. Why, only the other day in your paper appeared £he notice: "Rooms to let; no children." No matterTiow insistent the ne"e3 is for a place to live in, the fact of having children is an actual bar to securing it. Then again, let a married couple apply for board and lodging, even if only of a temporary nature, the first enquiry they are met with is: "Have you any children?" and in the majority of cases an affirmative answer on the part of the applicants is met with a most emphatic negative on the part of the boarding-house or hotel-keeper. Let a woman travel by train with children, if a child is only a month over three years of age it has to pay halffare, even if the mother has to nurse it on her knees the wifole journey; if a child is only a trifle over twelve years the same fare has to~"be paid "as for a fat, burly Maori over 14 stone. Again, let a working man's family travel from one place to another; is any concession made by the Railway Departments I know from experience if you make inquiry as to whether any reduction is made by taking tickets in quantities, say, of nine, you are fortunate indeed if you get the negative answer tinctured with civility. So much for Government "encouragement. Gc a little deeper KTTo tile question. When revenue has to be raised by the Government of our country, who has to pay the most? Certainly not the people at. the top of the social ladder. Do the powers that be tax the incomes and the, means by which these incomes are. derived? Oh, dear no. The tax „is put on the working man's breakfast table and the necessaries of life, and the larger the family the more he has to pay. It was ever thus and always will be, I fear. Take another matter which presses very hardly on the woman with a large family. How have children's boots and shoes appreciated in cost during late years; only about 200 per cent. Coming nearer home, Mr. Editor. Is it not a fact that the shortage of houses in Taihape is bearing very heavily on the man with a family? I know of a number of families, the breadwinner of which is working here and keeping a home going in another town owing to not being able "to secure a cottage. Then to still pile on the burden. Here, in Taihape, we have the Technical School authorities asking the pupils at the compulsory classes at night to make a payment of 5s per quarter. This is not much in itself, but it is an addition to the burden that is growing grievously heavy. Then we mothers are contributing largely to war funds, and providing sons to fight for an Empire that has such scant consideration for us. Yes, Mr. Townsend, "?. woman with children is a big asset, and we must back her up, whenever we are seeking political aid." How like men this is? Back her up, not to enable her to lighten her burden, but whenever "WE are seeking political aid." Keeping the cradles full is a splendid doctrine, a most necessary thing—in other people.—l am, etc., MOTHER OF SEVEN.