A BIG WAR PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2958, 22 December 1916, Page 8

A BIG WAR PROBLEM

DISCUSSED BY DEFENCE MINISTER. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, December'2l. The question as to whether the New Zealand Government contemplated applying the principle of the levy en masse in the Dominion, thus following the example of Britain, was asked of tho Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. James Allen) to-day. In reply, Mr. Allen said the problem was too big a one to faco in the absence of the Pj-imo Minister and Sir Joseph Ward in London. We have not been neglecting this important subject, however, said tho Minister. As a matter of fact, Cabinet has been considering questions of employment during tho next two years, and of tho best means of keeping the productive industries of the country going for tome time past. We have done a great deal of work in this matter, and have collected much data, one objective being the utilisation of productive labour. If the war' is to go on it is impossible to say what we may have to do in New Zealand. Wo must keep up tho strength of our Forces at the front, and at the same time we must keep our industries going. Though a lot has been done by farmers' organisations and others, a great deal more ought to be done to get the best out of our own people.