AFTER THE WAR

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 53, Issue 32406, 13 March 1944, Page 2

AFTER THE WAR

WIDER SCOPE FOR WOMEN POST-WAR NECESSITY WOMEN’S DIVISION ADDRESS Many young men and women who have seen service in this war, and have gone overseas, are not going to settle d'own very easily. They have spread their wings, they have all sorts of ideas, and they may not readily go back to the long hours of a seven-day working week on the farms. This problem cannot be sidestepped, and its solution will require the co-operation of all the country women’s organisations.” In these words the principal of Massey Agricultural College (Professor G. S. Peren) addressed a conference of the Women’s Division of the Farmer’s Union, Wellington Central District, held at the College recently. He told the attendance of over 100< that the College Board of Governors had been considering post-war problems, one of which was to make country life more attractive as a mode of living as well as a means of making a livelihood. The better the education and higher the standard of living, the greater was the tendency for young people to leave the long hours, with their accompaniment of some drudgery, in the country and to be falsely attracted by the glitter qf the towns. All snch problems would have to be studied, not merely from the standpoint of agricultural science but also from the socialogical angle. Improving Conditions Much could be done and was being done, by the agricultural college to make young people happy and contented on the farms. There were country homes where a small expenditure would make all the difference between retaining young women on the land and their leaving for the towns. In striving to meet the unprecedtented demand from young women for horticultural and general farming courses at the College, the authorities were limited to the insufficient accomodation available, in spite of recent additions. The country women’s organisations were working with the College authorities for the revival of the homemakers’ course which had been interrupted by the war, and before that was re-institut-ed there would have to be much more accomodation for the women made available. It would be largely by the co-operation of the interested 1 organisations that the problem could be solved.