WOMEN FROM OVERSEAS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17360, 6 January 1920, Page 7

WOMEN FROM OVERSEAS.

1 EMPLOYMENT IN DOMINION.] feDELEOATES'' DESTINATIONS lit " s'' i'-- ' * ' ! DELEGATES' INVESTIGATIONS B "SPLENDID OPPORTUNITIES." j 1* ; The possibilities of employment in Now H* Zealand for British women war-workers m, were discussed yesterday by Misses F. M. §| Girdler and G. the British |H Overseas Settlement Mission, who have m returned to Auckland after a comprehon- || sir* lour of the Korth Island.I A large number of English women will | be demobilised from war service next W spring, and the mission vjks arranged with g' a view to ascertaining what opportunities jp> *for employment were offering in the over- | sea* Dominions for the capable members | of thu enrolled services-the Women's || Auxiliary Army Corps, Royal Air Force, H Royal Naval Service, Land Army and ■l; : V.A.P. *' | Under the Imperial emigration scheme ||> free passages tj the Dominions will be ft* granted to girls who were enrolled in |. these branches of 8 war iiorvioe—munitionI workers not included-providcd there is |- found to be sufficient inducement for the ? girls to leave their homes and come out jtr to a new country.

|i Wide Scope of Inquiry. |> One point particularly emphasised by J |; the delegates was that their investigations covered every branch of women's employI"' ment. *An impression has gained I • ground in New Zealand that we are only - I looking into opportunities for placing girm -, on the land,'' remarked Miss Catkin. " This is quite wrong; we are making in- | quiries as to every profession and industry , a, in the country." J I Although the ladies have not completed their inquiries as yet, they have kiirned sufficient to be able to express a definite opinion as to where women workers are most urgently wanted—in domestic service and in industrial life, "We shall • tell the women of England that there is .very little chance for them in New Zeai lina in clerical work, bir£ splendid op]»rtunities as domestic helpers and industrial i * workers," said. Miss Girdler. "Although wages in England hive increased since the wav, they are still far below the average wage in New Zealand. The £1 or 25s a ' week tltat the New Zeal-aid domestic demands and readily obtains is far above the sum paid for really competent service in the old country, and it is because English ' r girls are no longer -jailing to work for such wages that they are looking out for a | chance to do 'better in a new country.'! ' Help tot I'a.rmers' 'Wives. I The great need of domestic help for I i fanners wires impressed itself strongly , ;t upon toe visiters in the course of their | tour of the oountry districts. "These | woken lead a hard life," said Miss GirdI' ler, "and it soeam almost impossible for I* them to obtain help under present condi- & tions. I think many English, women would I* them to obtain help raider into conditions. I think marry English women would ho much more willing to go into these p districts than your New Zealand girls seem I to be. But the same effort will have to , I' be made here that is being made in every I other country faced with the domestic §■ problem—tie state* of tie domestic •worker 1 will have to be raised to that o!. other . I occupations; and definite wortdng conditions I formulated." Women on the Land. I Speaking of the splendid work of the ?• English Land Army girls, the delegates • expressed the opinion that there was plenty of scope for them in the same direction in . New Zealand. They did not for a moment propose that the cols should go into the back Mocks and do clearing and similar work, but there certainly appeared to be opportunities for them to continue their farm work in the direction of ehare-milk-in" bee-keeping, orchardry, and poultry- ' rearitg. . , . With regard to industrial work, it was very apparent that the Dominion could readily absorb a large number of girls for ' its milk find factories. Condition*mNw ''■■ Zealand were splendid, and very different from those still obtaining in England, where the immense number of girls em-p]c,ved--in some mills over a thousand— refill tel in an entire loss of individuality. Question of Housing. "Our investigations hare gone to prove that them are unquestionably good opportunities in this country for English women,'' said Mia Watkin, 'but another factor eaually apparent would prevent our sending a large 'number of ttem out here, and that is the housing difficulty. From all we can learn New Zealand employers have enough .trouble in this direction »- readv, and we certainly would not think 01 sending woman out with the chance of their becoming lomeless and utranded. The remedy suggested for this was the establishment' of "women's hostels under a astern which had long been in operation in Canada and other countries, and which had been found admirable. Such houses mi"ht be started by private enterprise, by public subscription, or by social or philanthronio associations, with the possible assistance of Government or municipal subfidv. A similar scheme might be adopted 'large industrial concerns for the benefit of their workers. One of the purposes of the community hostels would be to proTide accommodation for women workers arriving in New Zealand from overseas until they had found work, and whiM (banging from one position to another. A record of situations would be kept by the superintendent, who would advise Bins with regard to suitable work, and supertise their welfare in other ways. "This work," continued Miss Girdler, would be similar to the Welfare Department work which helped the girls of Great Rritain so wonderfully during the warperiod. It was started by the Government, and quicklv taken up by private concerns, and proved of Mich advantage that it is being continued under peace amWUons. So greatly has it added to the health and efficiency of the girls that it has been found amply to repay the expense involved. I am convinced that the result cf this welfare work in advancing the health, morals, and happiness of English women will leave its mark on the next generation."

Best Type of Women Only. Under the Imperial scheme, only the bert type of women emigrants will be tent c-i; to'the Dominions, and the mission will guarantee that each woman sent out will be qualified for the particular branch of employment to which she is graded. Qualifying tests will have to be passed, a l .-) a'fctrict medical examination, and inqurv will be made as to their characters. 1..' summing up their impressions of w..rkini: conditions in New Zealand, one of the delegates said: "They are t ificientlv good to attract our best worker-. Compared with conditions that •till eVain in some directions in England, they »r. ideal, and I wish that some of your X.« Zealand oirls who are discontented and think themselves hardly done by could «hlv have a glimpse of the life of some of (hi women-workers of England IV delegates will leave Auckland tor Whangawi and the northern district.i tod«v and complete their visit later, afterw;,df proceeding to the South Island.