Concerns About Training Female Workers for the Land, 1st July 1916

On 1st July 1916 the Independent Labour Party wrote to Nottinghamshire County Council questioning the wisdom of providing local farmers with trained, subsidised female labour, fearing this threatened the position of men currently absent in the armed forces.

“WOMEN ON THE LAND.

“NOTTINGHAM I.L.P. AND THE COST OF TRAINING.

“The Nottingham branch of the I.L.P. recently passed a resolution emphatically protesting against the action of the Notts. Education Committee, “in proposing to make grants from public funds for training women as wage-earners and profit-makers for the sole benefit of a small class of the community.” The resolution proceeded: “We believe such proposed action is a direct contravention of the principle for which education rates are levied and grants made from public funds, in that such money is to be spent without any guarantee that women so trained will be adequately remunerated for their work on the land, or the nation at large reap any benefit from such public expenditure.” Copies of the resolution were sent to the President of the Board of Education and the clerk to the Notts. Education Committee.

“A covering letter, sent with the resolution to the Board of Education, stated: “We respectfully point out that, whilst the Education Committee is to pay public moneys for training women to work on the land, after such training, these women are to be at the mercy of farmers, who are to get skilled labour, supplied and trained at the public expense, which can, and we fear will, be used almost solely for profit-making purposes.”

“Under date of July 1st, the Board of Education formally acknowledged the receipt of the resolution.

“The Notts. Education Committee, under date of July 4th, “replied that the arrangement under which they are training women for work on the land is a war emergency measure, and has been taken up at the direct request of the Board of Agriculture, with a view to increasing the food supply of the country. They hope that the nation at large will reap considerable benefit from this measure.”

‘Nottingham Daily Guardian’, 13th July 1916.

Image: IWM Q 054607.