WAR WORK FOR WOMEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 March 1941, Page 8

WAR WORK FOR WOMEN

NEW PLANS IN BRITAIN. COMPULSORY POWERS LITTLE NEEDED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. March 20. Dealing with the Government scheme for the registration of women for war service, Mr R. Assheton, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of National Security, told the House of Commons that the object was to survey carefully the available supply of women and to find out. how they are at present occupied and what each of them could best do to help the country. Above all, what was wanted with women was selective treatment, and not mass treatment.

By far the most important aim of registration, he said, was to put to work those women who might be losing work through the closing down of unessential industries and those . which were at present unoccupied and not taking a full share in the war effort. He doubted if any Government Department had ever taken on a more formidable task, but he did not believe that in any but a very small number of cases would the Government have to use its compulsory powers. Women wanted a share in the work of winning the war, as so many had done so gallantly since the outbreak. The women of Britain had shown the most wonderful courage and endurance, and now were being called upon for further help. Much of the work would be full of drudgery and difficulty. There would be little glamour about it except the knowledge that they were serving their country in its hour of need. Miss Irene Ward said that women members, of whatever party, were determined to support the Government in any action it might think necessary in connection with the organisation of women in the effort to achieve victory at the earliest possible moment. “I hope there will be drastic and remorseless rounding up of women slackers and those engaged in unnecessary luxury trades," said Miss Eletmor Rathbone (Ind.), speaking in the House of Commons debate on the scheme for the registration of women for war service. She added that the Minister should also consider the question of unnecessarily large staffs of domestics. There were still too many households, she said, which were trying to keep up the pre-war standard. They had not i tried to simplify their own lives' with fewer servants.