WOMEN'S LAND ARMY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 194, 18 July 1941, Page 5

WOMEN'S LAND ARMY

FARMERS' UNION SUPPORT. (Press Assn) WELLINGTON. July 17

A suggestion by Mr A. C. A. Sexton (Auckland) that steps should be taken to form a Women's Land Army was ' endorsed by the annual'conference of the Farmers' Union. Mr <Sexton added a proviso that at least one ablebodied man should be kit on a farm.

I The conference agreed that it should i be strongly impressed on the Minister lof National Service that the calling- ! up of men in the middle of the producj tion season would cause disastrous dis- ! turbances. It was tirged that every I effort should be made by the Govern- : ment to make additional farm labour : available for farm work. MEAT PURCHASE. Tho comment by the Minister of I Agriculture on the resolution regardI ing tho purchase of meat passed by the j conference was the subject of a statement made to-day by Mr Mulholiand. He said Mr Barclay's defence of hi<s action as .Minister in reiusing to purchase the whole of this season's meat production on the ground that tho Government had only undertaken to purchase the normal production misrepresented the Government's definite promise, which was not qualified by any .mention of quantity. In fact, the Government's undertaking was given as part of the campaign on its part to induce farmers to produce more than they had ever produced before. Any reference to the average production of p-ast seasons had clearly no bearing. The dennite aim of the Government was to get increased production in excess of anything that had before l>een produced, and tho promise made by the Prime Minister in May, 1940. was to purchase the whole of this increased production. The position was that the Government had refused to accept full delivery after the goods were produced. The conference discussed the Home Guard and resolved that it should be brought under military control.