WOMEN PROTEST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 May 1939, Page 5

WOMEN PROTEST

REFUSAL TO PAY SOCIAL SECURITY TAX MEETING IN CHRISTCHURCH. HEATED DISCUSSION ON ETHICS OF SCHEME. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 1. By a clear majority decision a meeting oi'at least 400 ci.ty and country women held in the Radiant Hall this evening decided against paying the Government’s Social Security registration fee of ss. This decision was made after a heated discussion on the ethics of the Social Security scheme. There was a small but determined opposition to any criticism of the scheme, out the critics easily carried the day. A few men who attended the meeting endeavoured to have some say in the proceedings out were soon discouraged by cries of “Put him out, 1 ' and “Is this a women’s meeting?” There was some difficulty at first in. securing a chairman. Mrs Hilda M. Traill was organiser of the meeting but an appeal was made before the curtain rose for a chairman by Mr H. Bliss, and Mrs E. W. Trevenna agreed to lake on the task. The principal appeal to the audience was made by Miss H. W. Brown, who outlined the following cardinal points motivating the organisation: (1) No interference with a woman’s choice of a doctor; (2) a protest against the Government endeavouring to lead people to believe that nothing was done for the people previously by other Governments; (3) condemnation of the Government for misleading electors about the “true state of the country’s finances at the last election”; (4) a protest against paying the full tax under Social. Security without full benefits; (5) the expression of alarm at the Government finding it necessary to tax children down to thp age of IG; (6) "Is the British Medical Association to receive the same treatment of abuse and victimisation as has been meted out to free labour during labour strikes?” (7) a protest against legislation that “tends to destroy tne moral independence and initiative not only X>f the white people but of the Maori. After a good deal of debate from the floor of the hall a motion was asked for. One woman said simply. “I move we won t pay the tax." There were several seconders and on a show of hands the motion was carried by a big majority.