WOMAN ON THE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20922, 11 July 1931, Page 18

WOMAN ON THE LAND.

DRIFT TO THE TOWNS. HELPING THE DOMINION. HER EXCELLENCY'S SPEECH. The lot of the farmer's wife was spoken of with much sympathy and insight by Her Excellency* the Lady Bledisloe, 'at the opening in Wellington of the annual conference of the women's division of the"Farmers' Union of New Zealand. "Your useful activities," said Her Excellency, "are of great national benefit in helping to stem the drift of countryfolk into the towns, where profitable occupation is difficult to obtain and where their presence tenets to increase the difficulty ■of the unemployment problem. -The maintenance of a, strong and sturdy nation depends on its continuous recruitment with vigorous children from the countryside, and this, as your annual report emphasises, upon the care and health of the mothers. The bush nurse and housekeeper scheme, with its community chest fund, is doing yeoman service in this connection. It has my sincerest wishes for its continued success and usefulness. Those who, with suitable training or experience, are taking part in this work are doing national service of high value and importance. The same applies to the women's exchange, where country women can sell their homework or their!,produce; to Che Dominion Book Club, the after-care of British boys and girls who have been trained at the Flock House' or elsewhere/ and your other enterprises. One of, these, I notice, is participation in the 'use more wool' campaign, with .which the Governor-General and I are in full sympathy and hope to help personally so far as lies in our power. This * is' a country in 'which, • apart from any question of warmth or comfort, it may be deemed patriotic to wear at least occasionally woollen garments, nor need there be any reluctance to do so as long as they are suitable, inexpensive, and attractive in appearance. It is so much easier to be patriotic in these matters if we can look nice at the same time." 1 - ' ' ' V ' ' .

An earnest hope was also expressed that there would be no hostile rivalry—and as far as possible no overlapping—between the women's division of the Farmers' Union and other women's orga.nisations 'which ,are ' doing ' unselfish public-spirited work in the interests of countrywomen. This applies especially to the women's institutes,, which is a worldwide organisation and proving very helpful in making women in the country, whether in agricultural, mining, or partly industrial areas, more resourceful and thrifty and better acquainted with home crafts of various descriptions. t