is financial aid to the family should take requires
much consideration.

The assistance is required not merely at the time of confinement, but
also during the much longer period of the rearing and the education of
the family.

A general extension of the maternity allowance under any national
health scheme would afford some immediate financial assistance.

Income-tax exemption for children, however generous the scale, would
not benefit these badly circumstanced cases, for already they are below
the income-tax limit.

It would appear that further financial provision would have to take the
form of a direct children's allowance.

It is suggested that this might be put into effect by amending the
present Family Allowances Act to provide that--

(1) The amount be increased;

(2) The permissible income-level be increased;

(3) That, where given, the allowance be in respect of all the
children in the family; and

(4) That the age-limit of the children be increased to sixteen.

_Domestic Assistance._--Equally important is the provision of domestic
assistance, and here we are faced with a problem of the greatest
difficulty--a national problem which is affecting women in all walks of
life and of which this is but one aspect.

In many farming districts it is clear that lack of domestic help is a
greater burden to the harassed mother than even financial stringency.

Many admirable efforts are being made to give assistance in this
direction--in the country by the housekeeper plans of the Women's
Division of the Farmers' Union and other organizations, in the cities
by the Mothers Help Society and similar agencies.

Extension of such system is highly desirable, and the possibility of
their organization on a much larger scale with Government subsidy well
deserves consideration.

In many cases these efforts are limited as much by lack of personnel as
by lack of funds.

Alternatively, we suggest--

(1) That the Government should inaugurate and recruit a National
Domestic Service Corps of young women agreeable to enter the
domestic-service profession;

(2) That the recruits be guaranteed continuity of employment and
remuneration as long as their service was satisfactory;

(3) That they undergo whatever training is considered desirable at
technical school or otherwise;

(4) That they agree to perform service wherever required by the
Domestic Service D