EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN 223 



connected with the woods, both in the superior grades 



and the inferior or labouring classes. Before the war 



I should have now proceeded to deal with this aspect. 



As an outcome of the war, however, I have first a 



suggestion to make to the woman and a plea to make 



to her unselfishness. She will, I trust, help us to get 



women to take up forestry work as a work in which 



they can find useful and congenial employment and 



help us to disabuse the minds of many of the sex of 



their dislike to occupations connected with the soil 



and to show them what possibilities lie open to them in 



forestry work. But before deaUng with this question 



I would ask the women to remember another reason 



for giving their aid to this afforestation matter. If the 



question is taken up in the near future as it should be, 



and on the scale it should be, it will afford, in some of 



its easier work, employment to hundreds of partially 



disabled soldiers and sailors who, having fought their 



country's battles and been maimed in doing so, can 



never hope to resume those occupations which they 



were fitted for before they went to the front. 



If women will, as I hope, take up the afforesta- 

 tion crusade I have no doubts as to the place they 

 will give these incapacitated men in their pro- 

 gramme. 



I will now turn to the employment of women — I hope 

 I have not unduly exercised your patience in getting 

 there — and to the openings which exist for women in 

 forestry work. 



It will be best perhaps to consider first the possi- 

 bilities in front of the labouring classes. The employ- 

 ment of women in this direction is no new idea in 



