INCREASED PRODUCTION NEEDED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 16, 13 October 1917, Page 6

INCREASED PRODUCTION NEEDED

The appeal of the British, Prime | Minister to the farmers of Britain which appears in our cable news today should not be ignored in this , country. Mr. Lloyd George has : urged 'tho farmers in the Old Land to "enormously increase'' the production of food supplies, not hecause of any shortage due to the submarine menace, which he stated , was rapidly diminishing, but because the world's stock of food is the smallest for yenrs. This appeal , comes at a time when in New Zealand there appears to be an increasing tendency not only to discourage production but to hamper it. The agitation which aims at the restriction of prices of farm products, if successful, would strike a direct blow at production. It would discourage.farmers, and in some instances would lead to the diversion of their energies into channels less beneficial to the country and to the Empire. Mr. Lloyd George, in the course of his remarks ou the occasion under review, went out of his wav to deprecate as unfair the current «buse of the farming community, which he said was due to ignorance of the prccariousness of the farming business. What is of most immediate' concern, however, so far as this Dominion is concerned, is the depletion of the country 3 f skilled farm labour wind the failure to provide any systematic organisation for procuring substitute labour to compensate as far as possible for the losses sustained. Farmers all over the country areicing hampered and handicapped through' the shortage of farm abour, and owing to the attitudo ulopted by some 'of the Military Boards the position grows daily vorse In the House of Representatives vesterday the question was igain under discussion, and initances were given of farms being Icpleted of labour even in cases to he last able-bodied man. The Mtnster of Defence made it perfectly •Icar that he had endeavoured to nduce the Military Boards to excr•isc a liberal discretion in granting Ixemption from military service inedde to farmers and farm hands vhcrc. the work on the farm would ,therwisc be neglected. But it is ,bvious that the circular on the abject issued by Sir James Ai.lf.n ,as not vet had the desired effect n ' the circumstances the _ request hat the Military Service Act hould be amended in order to pro-1 -ide the necessary-safeguards does. ,0), seem unreasonable.. The ma.nenance of the production of foodLuffs is of vital lmnortanco to New Jcaland itself quite apart from the luty we owe to our countrymen lsewhcre and to our Allies, Ihc imo has been reached when we a reared with the. risk of dwindling induction, and in consequence liminished financial resources, nncss definite steps are taken to enure that the country shall not he urther depleted of farm labour. This question is one on which mem,ovs before they disperse- to their ionics should insist on a clear un-Icrsta-nding with the Government. Ministers are now aware- ot the eriousness of ihc. situation, and hey have no excuse for deferring i, definite decision concerning it. It s not merely " question of tic incresls of the farmers, but the merests of every r.lass of the comnmiity arc at. stake.-. ■ .■ ■