VITAL TASK

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 241, 12 October 1942, Page 4

VITAL TASK

SUPPLYING OF FOOD

CITY RECRUITING RALLY

It is the nation's business to see that the farms get the help they need so badly to carry out their task of feeding the men in the forces, here and overseas, and civilians in this country and (heat Britain."

These remarks by Mrs. A. X. Grigg. M.P. for Mid-Canterbur.v, set the theme of the talks given by her and Mrs. M. M. Dreaver. M.P. for Waitemaia. at a recruiting meeting for the Women's Land Service held in the Lewis Lady Hall at 12.30 today.

The meeting was quite well attended, but it was regrettable that nearly all of these present were older women. Only a sprinkling of girls of the right ago for the service was to be seen, and unless some of the women present were mothers of potential land girls, it seemed that those for whom the meeting was intended had not been interested enough to attend.

The Mayor. Mr. J. A. C. Allum, presided, and his place was later taken by Mrs. W. H. Cocker, chairman ot the \\ omen s War Service Auxiliary.

"Backbone of Country"

"We must keep up production. It is the backbone of our country, and we must grow all we can here. It is wrong that we should have to import wheat and potatoes when they could be grown here," said Mrs. Grigg. "That space could lie used for planes and munitions.

"A great responsibility rests on the shoulders of the primary producers, and women can play a tremendous part in that work,"' she said. "In England, there are 2SOO girls in the hand Army, and 1 know Mew Zealand girls can do as well."

Mrs. Grigg referred to the reason for the change of name, saying that the term Land Army was used by an independent group of women who were doing fine work in Christchurch. Consequently the name "Women's Land Service" had been chosen, and the speaker said she liked to think that thev would be called the "Wills," —"1 can do it. and I will."

Answer to Pessimists

Mrs. Grigg concluded by saving that when pessimists said New Zealand was too small a country to carry out the huge task ahead of it, she was always cheered by a saying: "it's not the size of the dog in the fight that counts, but the size of the fight in the dog.''

"It is the Government's intention that the Women's Land Service should have the same attractions as. the other women's services." said Mrs. M. M. Dreaver, who went on tc> outline some of these schemes and the new conditions. One of them was tho attractive uniform, which both she and Mrs. Grigg were wearing.

In a golden-brown colour, the dress has a hat to match, and t badge in the form of a wheat sheaf.

"The Land Service is an armv, just like the W.A.A.C.'s, the W.A.A.F.'s, and the W.R.N'.S., and those services have to be fed by the Land Service," said Mrs. Dreaver.