WOMEN EMIGRANTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19807, 26 November 1919, Page 8

WOMEN EMIGRANTS.

BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S SCHEME.

BEFORE FARMERS’ UNION. At to-day’s meeting of the executive of the North Canterbury Farmers’ Union a letter was read from the Dominion headquarters of tho union, "Wellington, with reference to tho visit to the Dominion of Misses Watkins and Girdlor, envoys from the Imperial Government, who are at present in ,N'ow Zealand investigating the prospects and conditions of employment for women workers who desire to emigrate to the overseas dominions. The union was asked to arrange interviews with representative farmers who would bo most likely to give the delegates the information they were seeking. Enclosed was a copy of a digest of the mission’s inquiries, which stated that the delegates to New Zealand desired to obtain information regarding all classes of work in which it was considered that women emigrants might be employed. It should ho understood that women would only be sent to those districts in which it had been proved that a demand existed. At the conclusion of the war 181,00!) women were working as members of the M omen’s Auxiliary Services, A very considerable portion of these were engaged in domestic work as cooks, housemaids, and general domestic helpers in military, naval and air force camps and hospitals. A considerable number also were employed on tho land, having come forward in answer to tuo call of the Government to assist in saving the situation in agriculture. On demobilisation many will return to their homes and many to their former occupations, but there was a certain proportion who had expressed a desire to como out to one or another of the oversea dominions.

t expression of opinion from the Farmers’ Union was asked regarding the possibilities for tho employment of women in the following classes:— 1. The woman who by training and experience in the Women’s Land Army in Great Britain is qualified to undertake any kind of farm work, including oaro of horses and cattle, ordinary farming operations witli machinery or in the fruit-growing districts orcharding.

2. The woman who will undertake milking and dairy work and also a certain amount of work in tho farmhouse on an agreement that she will work a fixed) number of hours per day, e.g., if employed for four hours daily in milking she would also do, say, five hours of housework, 3. The woman who will undertake the charge of horses under the horseman before and after tho day’s work in the field. That is to say, she would feed, groom, and harness horses in the morning, and unharness and attend to them at night, in addition to which she would do housework for an agreed number of hours.

4. Tho woman who will undertake domestic work only.

It appeared to be generally agreed that a simple organisation should ho set up by which connection could bo made between the local demand) from Aew Zealand and the supply of women workers from Great Britain. 'Tim British Government would pay tho fares to the dominion of such members of the Women’s Auxiliary Forces as could satisfy tho selection board of their physical fitness to undertake the iiork required ot them in the country to which they desire to go. suggestion of the chairman (Mr Jones) tho matter was referred to the executive’s sub-committee for consideration, with instructions to give the delegates all possible information at their disposal.