FARMERS AND THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3023, 9 March 1917, Page 6

FARMERS AND THE WAR

I --—♦ SOUTH CANTERBURY RESOLUTION. Bj Telegraph.—Press Association. fimanj, March S. A meeting of about sixty farmers at Geraldine adppted a programme of the duties of the supervising committee for soldiers' farms. Out-ol'-pockot expenses only are to bo allowed. Tho farms, stock, implements, etc., aro to bo carefully valued, with attention to the state of the land, buildings, and fences. Farms may be pooled and worked on a co-operative system. The committee may refuse to take over farms in a bad financial position. Tho Government to give assistance in labour, perhaps by allotting balloted men classed for homo service. Tho farms to bo handed back ns valuable as when taken over. If possible, provision to be made for the wives and families of the men sent away. Messrs. Burbur-y and Frostick expressed approval of tho programme. Other .proposals concerning the constitution, committee, nomination of tho number of men from whom the Efficiency Board would make selection were put aside on several grounds, one being that tho board would not know the men, and tho meeting, after the nomination of sixteen, elected five themselves. Replying to a question concerning labour, Mr. Burbnry said he was not authorised to say what the Government had in view, but ho believed labour would be found for those willing to put in wheat. If farmers agreed to put in wheat, the, Efficiency Board would probably recommend that the man bo left to tho end of May. It was said that the end of June would be better, as tho season was so dry. Twenty-six men signified that they would put in wheat if labour was assured.

A meeting of . farmers at CTandeboye, a dairying and cropping section of Gerakline County, resolved that it' was impossible to maintain if more men were taken from farmers. Tho delegate to a meeting at Tonvuka was asked to recommend that a list be compiled of owners willing to give or let land for cropping, and that applications bo .called from men willing;, singly, in partnerships, or in syndicates, to orop such land. The Government to bo asked to supply tho seed (to be returned). A list of implements available for loan or biro for such uso to'.bo compiled. Other resolutions demanded that farm workers be exempted till non-essential callings aro exhausted, and'that a special session of Parliament be called to place the affairs of the country in the hands of business men.