LAND SERVICE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 14 October 1942, Page 4

LAND SERVICE

THOUSANDS OF GIRLS NEEDED Ml ! I INC, I* ARM l,A»OI I! SHORTAGE \l*l'l. \l. BY MRS GRIGG Auckland. (Jr' 1 Tiie iicm.l fur Uioiimiimn of gin- • offer tliCMnselv. s to the Women's La. >\ Service* for work on farm- fiincul "ii ; M.P l'o Mb 1 Hi has l u hold . . in the Waikato ami Thane .-* \:.!!* v tor Waiteinatn who lit similar meetings in the north, were *ft\\>l!i«gioii. but so man, moeii :i > have already oopd held in the Am W land province .hat Mr- Ciiirg -aid ih* original tiaim!*or would have to be During her l.oir ulm rend, she had listened to suin'* pitiful storms •>(' far-irier-i trying P» keep up prud«i*-iion h. tin* of an nc-utc labour short a g*. Then- were many elder.;, farmer* who j had tried to carry on after their sun- | or farm hands had gone into the -«*rj work involved was lindiu/ ‘them *,ni. | Farmens’ wives had responded mairnili j cently to the plight, of their hu-hand-j but they too were never more in need I of help than they wore now. I'nlco's j the Women's Land Service eon 14 <4*i tain flu* large tiumtiers of recruits wanted pro due. Jon must suffer. Also giving wonderful assistance on ! the farms* were the daughters of fati mors. The-., girl*, .-aid Mrs. Grime, 1 were eligible for membership of tin--1 Women’s Land Service, and would Imj Issued with the distinctive brown dre-- ! uniform chosen for this taudi of j the women’s war work. At present 1 they were not eligible for working • uniforms, but. it was her hope on her j return to Wellington to have ther*e j also made -available to farmers’ I daughters doing a real job of work uu I the farms. CENTRALISED HOSTELS Another development she hoped 1 would come was the organization of ! centralized Women's Land Servb-<* j hutment areas or hostels, vviiere land service girls could live*, going out to their different farms every day and returning at night. However, so J many applications for girl land workers were in hand from farmer* ready l and able to provide accommodation that the first need was to supply these girls. I At one of the towns she had vi«itMd. j said Airs. Grigg, she had addressed high school girls and boys who would shortly be leaving echoo!. .She felt that there should Ik* a good pool of girls who could join the Women’s Land | Service among those of IS to 20 years jof age. They were not liable for | registration for war service till they : reached the latter age, and if they ;ould go on the land at the age of IS ! they would be doing an immensely i valuable job. it was therefore her inI tent ion to expand the idea of addressI ing senior high achool girls at future ' meetings which woulfl be continued after the conclusion of the present session of the House of Represeuta* The possibility of instituting some ■ form of rewarding efficient service by Women’s Land Service members had | also occurred to her. said Airs. Grigg. Obviously there could be no rank in -rich a service, but perhaps a service ; stripe could be awarded after no many months of efficient w ork. —F.A.