So today`s card shows a Spinster, which is actually not a derogatory term for an unmarried woman, but a reference to the fact that these ladies were talented enough to earn money of their own, and therefore self-reliant, so did not need to marry.
In 1925 a new system was introduced based on contributions rather than need, and this was paid to everyone when they reached the age of sixty-five. However because married couples are seldom the same age, and the man usually older, this had a flaw, that being that if the wife was below that age she was not classed as a pensioner and so they were not eligible for the married couple rate that two people of pensionable age got.
This situation went on right until 1940. And the solution then was to allow women to receive their pension at the age of 60, which came into effect in 1941.
For this we must thank a lady called Florence White, who started to campaign for the reduction in female pensionable age in 1935. She wanted it to be 55, but that was not agreed to. She based her statements on the lives of spinsters, who found themselves forced to work for longer in a job that really needed the youthfulness of nimble fingers and good eyesight, both of which frequently failed as they aged, and had not been helped by the fact that they had often spun by poor light in darkness. This was also not helped by the fact that because they were unmarried they often were obligated to look after elderly parents, or if they were married they had to fit their spinning work around caring for their children, and this only left the nights to work.
Our issuer does not have a dedicated reference book so its only entry is in the World Tobacco Issues Indexes. They describe it, simply, as "PAST & PRESENT. Sm. Nd. (25)"
However they then do say "See W/287", which sends us off on the Wills trail. And the set actually appears in two of the Wills reference books, parts IV and V. Part IV gives us a full description too, which is :
287. 25 PAST & PRESENT. Fronts printed by letterpress in colour. Backs in grey, with descriptive text. Export issues, between
A) New Zeland Issue, Wills` name at base of back
B) General Overseas Issue. Anonymous backs.
Similar series issued by Edwards, Ringer & Bigg.
Now in case you also are wondering "between" what? well, Wills part V sorts it out, by saying :
"PAST & PRESENT - see page 153. Owing to a printing omission, the date of issue did not appear in the second line of text. The series was issued in June 1929"
This date does not appear in the list that was inserted when the five Wills books were combined beneath a hard cover. And it seems to be recorded as 1928 in several dealers catalogues. I am also not sure when the Wills and Anonymous versions were issued, but will look it up later on.