Women’s War Effort in England

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 276, 9 November 1940, Page 3

Women’s War Effort in England

“MANNING THE KITCHEN FRONT” ‘‘Women’s War Effort and the Nation’s Health” was the subject of an interesting talk given by Mrs. H. Paterson, Dominion vice-president, at the annual meeting of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union at Feilding. Recently back from a trip to England, Mrs. Paterson was able to speak of first hand knowledge of the great part women were playing iu the war effort of tho Old Country and of tho burdens they were carrying. While in England she saw women being speedily organised to help, not only in the various organisations, but iu the homes also. Every spare patch of garden, Mrs. Paterson said, had been made to produce foodstuffs and everyone was asked to conserve and preserve as much as possible and to prevent waste. Slogans such as "Cook for Victory” and "Man the Kitchen Front ” were prominent everywhere. The Ministers of Food and Agriculture called upon everyone to see that there was no waste. Mrs. Paterson stated that it had been established that a million tons of potatoes were wasted in England every year. This waste was represented in peelings. One slice of bread a day wasted required 30,000 tons of shipping to replace the loss. The Government had .distributed leaflets explaining how to

conserve food and had also sent instructors around in caravans. Continuing, Mrs. Paterson said that, a colossal waste was allowed to the brewers who spoilt tons of sugar aud barley. Iu a certain fruit-growing dis trict she had visited, there was a sugar shortage for jam making and yet tho trade had their allowance, it was claimed that this was permitted for the purposes of State revenue and also to procure arms from America. This, she asserted, would not bear thinking about. Dr. C. W. Saleeby, F.R.8.E., claimed that the manufacture of alcohol was the destruction of food; the turning of treasure into trash aud of food into poison. The brewers’ waste—devitalised barley—continued Mrs. •Paterson, wa3 being fed to cows and this she claimed would result iu -the production of deficient milk for the nation. Mrs. Paterson concluded her very interesting and thought-provoking talk with an exhortation to all to keep on striving for that which is good, no matter how deep the wrong. A vote of thanks was proposed by Mrs. C. E. Taylor and carried with applause.