WOMEN’S LAND ARMY

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23051, 20 June 1940, Page 10

WOMEN’S LAND ARMY

ro IHE EDITOR OE THE PRESS Sir, —In your issue of yesterday appears an account of a meeting held the previous evening, when the first women’s land army in Canterbury—perhaps in New Zealand—was formed. It is probable that this war organisation will be followed by many similar organisations in the other centres, and the result will be the. production of a great amount of vegetables to be provided for deserving institutions who minister to the poor and needy, whose needs are certain to be accentuated by war conditions. For the purposes of such, a movement, two primary needs are—suitable available land, such as gardens, sections, empty spaces to be cultivated, planted, and tended by the land army. There is much unproductive land of that description in or near the city. Already many such areas of land have been offered to. the land army, and doubtless many more offers will be received. Many women engaged all the week in business have indicated their desire to help in such, work. They feel that they are as capable of doing it as the women of France or Germany or Italy, and have sincerely been awaiting the call. The plan is to cultivate the plots or gardens given and produce vegetables to -be distributed free for the poor and deserving. The girls or women will give their services free. Instruction and superintendence will also be provided free; as, in fact, all the necessary service will be provided for. Expenses in this way will be reduced to a minimum, and the movement will stand as an absolutely free war service by the women of the country. . The women who will begin this work will be divided into groups of 10 with a leader for each group, and the work of cultivation, planting, weeding, etc., will soon be in full swing.—Yours, etc., g June 19, 1940.