WOMEN'S LAND ARMY

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1940, Page 2

WOMEN'S LAND ARMY

EFFORT IN AUSTRALIA

The formation of the women's land army has recently been the subject of the greatest discussion among 300 delegates who gathered at a town ' in New South Wales to take part in th£ annual conference of the Agricultural Bureau of New South Wales. Men and women alike are in agreement about the tremendous national service women could do on the land. By a scheme outlined, the women's land army hopes to enlist women and girls over the age of 18 years who are willing to give voluntary service on the farms from which owners or workers have enlisted. Girls will be expected to serve as home cadets. especially during busy seasons, etc. Those with farming experience and knowledge will be expected to help on the farm with such jobs as dairying. care of poultry and pigs. vegetable growing, fruit-picking, pruning, mustering and tractor-driving. Those qualified to drive motor or horse vehicles may be used in all forms of farm transport and for transporting Viembers to their place of work. "It must be remembered that this is a national service of the greatest possible value, as in this case women with practical farming knowledge might thus be released from home duties to carry out practical farm work," said the organiser. "It has never been the practice to employ women on farms in Australia in outdoor work. It has never been necessary. But the position is now so acute that there is every probability that it will reach the stage of grim necessity. We need to have women trained and ready, and I have no doubt that those able to train and to serve in this capacity will answer the call just as readily as the men have done," she said. "Girls must .be big enough to sink all prejudices, and to become home cadets. able to manage homes and ready to be sent, just as the soldier is, wherever they are most needed, in the homes or in the fields. They must consider nothing too uninteresting." It is hoped that farmers and graziers and their wives will offer to train two or more girls in work in the country home, and in the practical side of farm work.