New-York tribune., 1919-01-19
of
ny. Land Army
'1oOpen Jan. %
Activity of Farmcrcttcs Dur
ing 1919 TO Expand:
viii Devise New Plans
Governor Approves " ork
Leaders Forcscc Greater
agricultural Programme
With Return OF Soldiers

inc annual convention of the New
1orN State Woman's Land Army VIII
lie held in New York City at the Hotel
Astor January IS and % 4 general
cal has been ssued at state head
quarters. 3o3 Fifth Avenue by Mrs
JhomAs f. Burgess, president, and
members of the board Of directors
Mrs Benjamin Howes. Of Scarsdalc
y g.. has charge of the programme of
Sncfkcrs. which includes notable state
and national leaders in the Land Army
movement in America.
Governor Alfred +. Smith officially
Launched the 1919 season for the New
NorI state Land Army last week when
he ndorsed the organization after his
Inauguration in Albany. As one of the
post important measures in the coun-
try Tor reconstruction work Governor
Smith urged the women of the Empire
State TO continue their work on a larger
scale Tor the coming season in order
that more food might be raised both
for this country and Europe.
he Governors statement reads.
II am very much interested in the
work OF the Woman's Land Army. |
have every sympathy with your proJ~
ects and hope that success will crown
YOUR most patriotic endeavor. All citi-
zcns OF this state highly appreciate the
elective patriotic work covered by
your association during the war, mate
rally increasing the food supply for
our army and its allies. Your work is
rg- Gr1c !
are entitled to the cooperation of all
our patriotic citizens to handle the
task now set before you for the coming
season In this | am sure you will not
be disappointed"
Governor Smith addressed his com
Inunication to Mrs. Otto R. Eichel, of
Albany, executive director Of the Won
ans Land Army.
Plan Back TO Land" Movement
he keynote OF the coming conven-
ton will be twofold. il is announced
It viii call upon the farmers of the
state, the women farm workers and the
supporters of the land army for added
effort IN order that they may help
America make good her pledge to Eu-
ropa Of 10000 900 tons of food this
Noar. The convention will also launch
genuine back to the land movement
IN this state as a measure of first i'm
portance for the reconstruction period
Invitations to attend the convention
have been sent to farmerettes III
every county in the state who served
IN the land army camps last summer,
10 farm 'bttteau managers, to farmers
and to persons interested in the prob
lem of agriculture both here and in
turope. A buffet luncheon viii be
served at I o'clock each day during The
uprIOd ~ convention
Shortly after the signing Of the
arnistice the woman's land army move
ment was officially recognized by the
United States government Through
the Federal Department Of Labor there
has been created in the United States
employment service a division known
As the Woman's Land Army Division
Mrs. Otto k. Eichel in a statement
1ssued yesterday made it plain that
this contingency demands more instead
a less labor on the farms.
Farming win Re Expanded
Many soldiers will start farming for
themselves, Mrs. Eichel said. "This
viii necessltate q new demand for
farm labor. 1t Will put under cultiva-
tIon abandoned farms which have run
down because OF this same scarcity Of
labor. As long as there is a continued
farm. so long VIII women find work for
Themselves as steady means Of en-
plovment during the summer
1t is important to remember that
before the war farms were being de
serted because young people preferred
i'e city and other occupations If the
Woman Land Army has successfully
invented during the war a means Of
supplying new interest in farm life,
~ is certainly one of the most impor-
tant things for this state to carry on
n times of peace. Europe's cry for
food has made IT necessary to place
additional land under cultivation, Dur
INK the coming season extra labor will
bc demanded on an even larger scale
than 1t was last year"
AZ the convention several now di-
tectors will be added to the board.
Mrs. James Lees Laidlaw, chairman OF
the nominating committee. announces.