ESSENTIAL INDUSTRIES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3005, 16 February 1917, Page 6

ESSENTIAL INDUSTRIES

LABOUR PROBLEM DISCUSSED;-

By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, February 15. At a meeting of the executive of the> Farmers' Union to-day further discussion took place on a resolution passed at a previous meeting: "That in order to conserve as far. as possible-all the available labour for essential industries tho compulsory clauses of the Military, Service Act should for the present bo applied only in respect of those whoso occupations could be suspended without detriment to the safety of the Empire or the ultimate wealth-produc-ing power of the Dominion, and in furtherance of this object all occupations should be at once classified."

In reply to the union's communicacsition, the Acting-Prime Minister wrote that classification_ of essential and non-essential industries was a matter which would he dealt with by tho Industrial Efficiency Board and the organisation that would he created under that board. "Indeed," the letter ran,"the whole question of industry with respect to the farms of soldiers who go to the front comes within the scope of the Efficiency Board. Ido not think thev will stay their hand until they have gone into the whole question and dealt with it in a satisfactory 'flic executive adopted a resolution to the effect that local committees be appointed throughout the districts to support the appeals for exemption ot young men who are known to he essential for tho production of foodstuffs. "'