Women and the land (1917)

Extract from Kent Messenger of October 27th 1917

WOMEN AND THE LAND

An important conference of Village Registrars in connection with the West Kent Women’s War Agricultural Committee, which has accomplished much excellent work, was held in the Guildhall, Rochester, on Tuesday afternoon, when there was a large attendance. Miss Wigan occupied the chair, and amongst others present were the Hon. Mrs. Alfred Lyttelton, the Vis­countess Hardinge, Viscountess Falmouth, Lady de Capel Brooke, Colonel W. T. Doonor (Ditton), Mr. Walter Neve (Cranbrook), Mr. J. A. Druce (Goudhurst), Mr. H. W. Christie (Tonbridge), Mrs. Cornwallis and Mrs. Champion (Linton), Mrs. P. Heron-Maxwell and Mrs. Jack  Smith (Borough Green), Miss Cohen (Sevenoaks), Mrs. Hedges (Tonbridge), Mrs. Johnson (Hildehboro'), Mrs. Corbet (Wrotham Heath), Mrs. Cholmley (Addington), Mrs. Ogilvy (Birling), Mrs. Stewart and Mrs. Simmoiids (Kemsing), Mrs. Chambers (O’tham), Miss Bradley and Mrs. Whitestone (Hollingbourne), Mrs. Roper (Boxley), Mrs. Golding (Dartford), Miss Cooke (Swanley), Mrs. W. Skinner (Boughton Monchelsea), Miss Manwaring (Hunton), Mrs. Hatch (Lenham), Miss E. Adam (West Malling), Mrs. North (Meopham), Mrs. Hollands. (Broomfield), Mrs. Latham (High­am), Miss Leigh (Yalding), Miss F. E. Wood (Wouldham), Mrs. Soffe (Snodland), Miss Russell Sowray (Teston), Miss Potter (Ulcombe), Mrs.Spoor and Miss Ballard (Strood), Miss T. Scarth (Bearsted), Mrs. H. de V. Watson (Harrietsham), Mrs. Tanner (Shorne), Mrs. Locke(Milton), Miss Leys (East Kent, assistant secretary), Mrs. Pye (Rochester), Miss Cox, hon. secretary, and Miss D. Livett (Wateringbury), assistant organising secretary.

Mrs. Lyttelton gave a very able and opportune address on “ Winter Work.” Speaking first on  training, she said there was a great demand for skilled labour, and during the coming winter the Committee ought to improve the material they had got, as well as that which would come in, so that the demand might be supplied next spring and summer. The Board of Agriculture realised the need for specialised training. When the work of food production was started it was stated that women could not drive tractors, but by the end of February there would be hundreds who could. This would be made possible by the introduction of light tractors, the first con­tingent of which was expected in a few days. As soon as they arrived the demand for women drivers would commence. It was possible they might find in Kent some who would like to take up this particular kind of work, which was well paid. While tractor driving was obviously very different from motor driving along the road, a woman who had experience of the latter would find that a good start. They were also training women for threshing and thatching,for whom also there was a great demand in some parts. While rabbitting might not be attractive work for women, it was essential, and presented a grave question in many places. Girls willing to take up this work would be specially, trained, and employment and ferrets, etc. would be provided by the Government. For promising girls, short courses of training in ordinary farm work were available.  The end in view was to have, next spring and summer, a band of really skilled women for the land, and then the difficulties regarding wages would vanish. The tempting things, offered by the Women’s Army Corps were responsible for a large number of recruits being lost to the land, but it was probable there would be a combination of different departments, so that there could be an exchange of workers. It was now proposed to divide the workers into two classes, those who volunteered for one year and were prepared to go wherever sent, and those who desired to remain in their own county. The latter would receive everything offered to the other class with the exception of maintenance allowance between terms of unem­ployment. Many jibbed at the idea of signing on till the end of the war, and by the alteration it was hoped to rope in these. Turning to the social side of the winter work, Mrs, Lyttelton pointed out that many girls complained of the dulness and isolation of life in the country, and to counteract this she made various suggestions, such as the possibility of starting correspondence clubs, of localising some form of magazine, of obtaining books from London for a library, and of forming Village Institutes. On the possi­bilities of these institutes she enlarged, and said that while the Board, of Agriculture would not subsidise them, they were prepared to assist in the initial outlay in various ways. Concluding, she said without the assistance of the Women’s Commitees she did not believe anything like what had been done in regard to food production would have been accomplished, and it was be­cause these Committees had done so much that they Were now being asked to do more (ap­plause).

In the discussion which followed it was stated that Village Institutes, had already been started at Swanley, Kemsing, and elsewhere with much success. Lady Falmouth proposed that the Village Re­gistrars shbuld be asked to seriously consider the subject of Village Institutes and Societies, and to be prepared to report at a special meeting. Mrs. Hedges seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously. 

Mrs. Heron-Maxwell introduced the interesting question of “The Movement towards Co-opera­tion in the Villages.” She stated that in an­swer to her letters it would appear that there was very little surplus produce for sale, but she thought if the Village Registrars got into closer touch with the allotment holders and cottage gardeners, the result might be different. She also read the reports concerning the possibility of selling produce from stalls in the towns. The Secretary of Maidstone Cattle Market said a stall could be reserved there, probably free of charge. At Wrotham the producers took 80 per cent of the sales, and the remainder went to pay the woman who kept the stall, etc. As to drying vegetables, depots were proposed to be opened at various centres, where good prices would be given for the produce. These places included Wye, Paddock Wood, Wateringbury,  Gravesend, Green Street Green, and Otford. In a valuable address on co-operation, or mutual aid, Mrs. Maxwell agreed that they had done a tremendous amount towards breaking down past  prejudices and old traditions in  the villages, but they wanted to go further, and make the people feel that in all their cooperation they  had something to teach as well as to learn, and  something to give as well as to take. She had  a strong feeling that the school should be the  centre of the village life, because it was neutral ground, and she suggested, further, that it would  be a fine idea if every village would provide itself with a hall as a memorial of the war, all classes taking a share in raising the funds, and everyone in the village having a share in the project. She also advocated a village fete with the idea, of bringing all classes together. It was necessary they should get to understand more of the life of the people, and right principles should underlie all their activities. Just as we were fighting for national freedom, so we should strive after freedom at home, freedom in the villages, freedom of opportunity to live better lives. Never had there been such a chance as now, but if we set about it in the wrong way more harm than good would be done; therefore she appealed for the opportunity to be seized in the right way (applause). Mr. Christie, in a, few remarks, paid a graceful compliment to the enthusiastic and efficient work of the West Kent Woman's Committee, and spe­cially emphasised the desirability of making the Village Institutes, part of the Committee’s opera­tions, principally because they could carry them through on an entirely neutral ground, whereas failure was bound to result if anything savouring of creed or party entered into them.

The meeting, which was a most successful one,terminated with votes of thanks to the speakers and Miss Wigan, proposed by Lady Hardinge, and seconded by Lady Falmouth.