JACK TAR'S EXTRA COURSE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2549, 25 August 1915, Page 8

JACK TAR'S EXTRA COURSE

WORK OF THE VEGETABLE PRODUCES COMMITTEE DOMINIONS' AID & SYMPATHY 1 Great Cumberland Place, London, W., July 16, 19i5. To the editor of The Dominion, Dear 'Sir,— I shall be very much obliged if you will kindly find room for the c-nclosed article in your columns. Yourg faithfully, CHARLES BEBESFORD. „ Admiral. President Vegetable Products Committee. Everybody knows that the personnel' of the Navy, who are waiting and watching for the day when, the continuance of the Empire may depend upon what they do and how they do it, roQUivo plenty of fresh fruit aiid vegetables. Why is this produce not supplied to them by the Admiralty? Why is the official vegetable ration restricted to potatoes? The answer is simple. It is that whilst tho Fleet is on. active service tllo Admiralty must limit itself to supplies whicn it knows can be got regularly. If supplies varied from time to time, still more from ship to ship, discontent would he created which might become dangerous to discipline and contentment. There is 110. question of tho Admiralty shirking its duty, for economical or any other reasons. When the | vessels are at sea the principle that must- be adopted is that of the fixed ration. Potatoes are the only article of produce which will keep, and "upon the supply of which the Admiralty can count absolutely. At the samo time the Admiralty is most anxious that the Fleets should rcceivc fresh fruit and vegetables. How can this be done?_ Obviously by means of a private, civilian association, which can send such produce as a- gift: an extra course for officers and men which does not conflict with, but is additional to, the fixed ration, and which the personnel must receivo as a gift, the amount and _ the regular or irregular arrival pf which can in no circumstances beli cause of grievance.

A Dominion Man's Work. Aiid private patriotism stepped in, accordingly. To a Dominion man, Mr. E. Jerome Dyer, an Australian, who has seen much of the Empire, and therefore knows the vital importance of the Navy_ as Imperial defence, belongs the credit of bringing into being an organisation which lias already spread throughout' Great Britain, and will soon, it ■ is to be hoped, be as wide as the Empire. In September last, Mr.-, Dyer set on foot a body which, under the uninspiring title of the Vegetable Products Committee, with-head offices at Alderman's House, Alderman's Walk, Loudon, E.C., is doing a work which may well capture tho imaginations of us of the Sister States." The Admiralty was first approached. It not only gave consent to the use of its name. It expressed approval of the work proposed with a degree of cordiality rarely observable in aii official communication. Lord Charles Beresford, tho doyen of the British Navy, readily .accepted the presidentship of the proposed association, and before long 'a committee was got together which will' command respect throughout the, Empire, including, as it does, all the Dominion High Commissioners in London, the Duke of Newcastle, the Earls of Plymouth, Selborne, Desart, Portsmouth, Beissbo'rough, Lady Jellicoe, the Hon. Sir John Coclcburn, Sir Watkin Williams Wyiui, Major-General Sir Ivor Herbert (now of the Ministry of Munitions), Dear-Admiral Hutchinson, and Lieut.Commander Smith-Dcrrien. 275 Branches in British Isles. No time was lost. Nor was a penny Wasted. No' expensive suite of West End offices was taken, but from the little lane off Bishcpsgate operations were begun with such briskness that by October 14, the first consignment was sent off 'to the Fleet. This promptness was made possible by the-forma-tion of branch committees all over the British Isles, thanks to the eager cooperation of the Lords-Lieutenant and the Mayors. To-day, throughout the Islands, there are 275 of these branch committees at work. In this connection another economical point in working was_ secured. The/British and Irish railways agreed to carry all the ■produce free of charge. Then a wider field of certain support was approached. Letters wore sent out to tho Dominion aiid colonial' Governments and leading newspapers, and evoked''a display of generosity worthy of the patriotic feeling which inspired it. Producers and merchants of Australia, Canada, Ceylon, and-Cape, Natal, the Straits Settlements, the West Indies, and other- parts vied with one another ill sending help. Here, again, the committee's wish for economy ■ received recognition. The great steamship lines followed tho example of tho British and Irish railways. Tho committee's, or, rather, the Navy's, consignments were carried free. - Business men know what this means with freight charges and space scarcity what thov are. Decentralisation and Thrift. Tho work is so far an unqualified succes. Sheaves of letters ar© received from the Fleets expressing gratitude and appreciation. The Medical Direc-toi'-General of the' Navy, Sir A. May, has written to the Committee stating that in liis deliberate opinion the fitness and good health of the men. aro largely duo to what the Committeo has dono. Admiral Sir John Jellicoe lias cordially confirmed this. Up-to-date considerably over 3,000,000 lbs. weight of fruit and vesotables havo been sent, and "record" was reached in tho.week ending July 10. when upwards of 200,000 lbs. weight was sent to the North Sea Fleet. The produce most uecded is apples, pears, oranges, apricots, grape fruit, carrots, parsnips, white turnips, and last, and perhaps most important, onions. ■

One reason for the committee's success is the rauso itself. No mail or woman of British descent needs to have that point But even,a great cause can be hampered by unintelligible methods of work. A, subsidiary reason for success is undoubtedly the decision to leave, each branch to work on its own account, in its- own way, and to retain every penny subscribed by its members to lie expended in buying supplies from the local farmers and market, gardeners, should tlio members not be producing enough themselves". A word as to this latter point. One of tho Committee's objects is to stimulate national thrift in using for food-growing purposes every yard of land which.can bo so used. As a result, some thousands of its members have set aside pieces of ground which ffioy call "Navy Plots." and on these fruit and. vegetables are being produced for the Empire's naval personnel. A Further Appeal. What more can bo done? Well, certain ' facts are self-evident. Ono is that tho longer men are at sea the creator becomes their need for frcsli and vegetable foods. The Navy has now been at sea for over a yoar. Another facfis that the long strain of watching and waiting for German movement is bound to tell upon the constitution of tho strongest. A third fact is that it behoves those of us who arc not in the fighting lines on sea or laud to do what wo can to strengthen and cucourago -those who are, upon .whom we rely, fot^

liberty and prosperity. It would, be venturesome to prophesy, as to how much longer tho Fleets will be at sea; but the Committee does not wish supplies to be found lacking. Sympathisers in the Dominions and colonies have already helped generously. It asks them to help afresh; to form branches worked on similar lines to those in tho British Isles; to send forward vegetables and fruit, or, if colonial sympathisers prefer it, donations with which these tiling "re purchased at-the lowest market rates. Lord Charles Beresford. at 1, Great Cumberland Place, London. Yv"., will gladly receive cheques or drafts crossed "Vegetable Products Committee," and ho; or the honorary secretary. Mr. E. Jeronio Dyer (the latter at the offices in Alderman's House, Alderman's "Walk, London, E.G.), will promptly answer any inquiries as to the formation of branches, delivery; of produce. and so forth. To save time, however, it may be suggested that bills of lading of consignments may be sent to the Vegetables Products Committee, and shipped to cither London or Liverpool. Tho P. and 0.. Blue Funnel Line, the Burns Line, the Laird Line, AVlnte Star, and Union-Castle Mail Stoamship Company, Roval Mail Steam Packet Company, Citv of Dublin Steam Packet Company, Canadian Pacific Steamers have'hitherto generously given free conveyance to gifts for the Fleet sent across the sea to the Vegetables Product Committee, and doubtless, in recognition of the freedom of the_ seas secured to them by our glorious Navy, they will do the same again, while it is to be hoped that 6thers will kindly follow their good lead.