Land Girls Decide To Form a Club

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 63, 17 March 1944, Page 2

Land Girls Decide To Form a Club

With the object of bringing 1 members of the Women’s Land Service together to consider the possibility of forming a club some 40 members from a very wide area assembled at the National Club yesterday at the invitation of the district committee of the Women’3 War Service Auxiliary. Miss C. Warburton, chairman, presided over the gathering, offering a welcome to the Land Girls, also to ,Mr. J. Linklater, chairman of the Primary Production Council, Mrs. Linklater, Mr. H. J. Rees, secretary P.P.C., and Mrs. Rees who were the guests of the afternoon. An apology was offered on behalf of ,Mrs. A. E. Mansford (Mayoress). Miss Warburton explained the purpose of the gathering and said the importance of the work the women were doing on the laud could not be too much stressed. She felt the formation of a club would be a step in the right direction. She then introduced Mr. Linklater, who paid sincere tribute to the work of the W.L.S. on the “Home” front. Expressing his appreciation of the opportunity of meeting the members and discussing their problems, Mr. Linklater said, as chairman of the Primary Production Council, he had had a good deal to do with the formation of the W.L.S. in this district in conjunction with Mr. Rees as organising secretary. During the first year of the Land Service they had enrolled IGO young women and lie took the opportunity of congratulating the girls on the excellent service they had rendered. Many of those enrolled were already on the Manawatu farms, but many who knew nothing about farming had joined up and had done very well in their new work. Continuing, the speaker stressed the fact that every young woman who was doing good work on a farm would remain on the land whether she was in the Land Army or not. “You are engaged in the work of primary production which is so vital just now' and although that work is not so spectacular as some branches of the service it ranks first in importance because you are doing your part in providing food for the people of Great Britain, the Armed Forces and the people of the Dominion.” the speaker said. The production of the Dominion has gone down very rapidly during the last two years, and that downward trend must be stopped. Weather was a great factor so far as production was concerned and the season just gone through had been one of the worst. A very wet spring followed by what may reasonably be termed a drought in most parts of the main farming districts of New Zealand had had the effect of lowering production to an alarming extent. An important factor in the lowering of production had been the absence from farms of first class farmers who were nobly doing their duty overseas. “We farmers cannot increase production unless we have the manpower to do the work on the fai-ms,” the speaker continued. “While I recognise that our lighting forces have to be maintained, I also contend that if increased production

1 _______ , is needed, and no one can say it is not, these men who are capable of producing these goods that are so much needed by Britain, our overseas forces and the people of New Zealand should remain on i the farms of the Dominion. One of the urgent matters cjnnected with the farms of New Zealand, especially the dairy farms, is the scarcity of help in the homes of the farmers. In some homes the scarcity is very keenly felt and help in this direction is very urgently needed. If you ladies could formulate some scheme to cope with this difficulty you would be doing something very important in this work of more production.” In conclusion. Mr. Linklater voiced the appreciation of the farming community for the help given during a difficult period and trusted . the girls would continue their good offices until the war was over and victory assured. Mr. Rees added a word of apprecia ' tion to the girls who had stepped in and .taken the place of men on the land and assured the members the Primary Production Council would watch their inter- ! csts and do all possible for them. Miss M. Grant, hon. secretary, W.W.S.A., re-1 turned thanks to the speakers. There was an interlude for afternoon tea and later, after discussion, it was' agreed to form a club on the motion of Misses L. Cooksley (Opikl) and M. Gretton (Linton) to be known as the “Manawatu Land Service Club.” The District Committee of the W.W.S.A. is to go into ways and means of finding a club room and report back to a provisional committee comprising Misses Gretton (Linton), P. McDonald (Raumai), L. Cooksley (Opiki), It. Rowland (Karere), B. Blixt (Pohangina), N. Hansen (Foilding), D. Young (Kairanga) and Mrs. Whiteman Foxton). Before the party concluded Mr. Linklater returned thanks to Miss Warburton and her committee for organising the meeting.