NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 265, 7 August 1942, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Nothing could have emphasized more strongly the need for a careful review of the manpower position than the report of a survey made by the Wairoa District Council of the National Council of Primary Production. It was stated that on the larger stations there were many instances of flocks of from 5000 to 6000 ewes completely unattended owing to the men having been called up for military service. In that district lambing will probably be fairly early and it will be essential to have the stock under constant observation. There will be the necessity to move the ewes to the best lambing paddocks, and that will entail a scrutiny of the fences, with repairs where required. It is a time when the services of men accustomed to the handling of stock are needed, otherwise there may be serious loss. The areas required to carry flocks of the sizes mentioned by the district council will be extensive, and, in the interests of the country s production, they cannot be left indefinitely without attention. Probably the Wairoa district is not alone in this respect, and if other councils also ascertain the position and place the facts before the National Council sheepfarmers should be able to count on some steps being taken to provide the minimum amount of labour necessary.

Mention has been made of the possibility of obtaining some crude rubber from the plantations in Samoa. Some years ago the output touched 167 tons, and although that quantity would be only a very small fraction of what is required it would be true to say that today the smallest contribution would be thankfully received. The long period during which the market price of rubber was extremely low apparently caused those concerned to direct their attention to other things with the result that the production of rubber in Samoa has fallen to below 50 tons per annum. But it might be possible to increase the output, and there must be m the Dominion today men with lengthy experience of rubber production in Malaya and elsewhere. Would it be possible to enlist their expert services to examine and report on the condition and possibilities of the plantations in Samoa? During the depression it was reported that many rubber estates in the chief producing countries were practically abandoned, but the surprising revival when prices recovered indicated that there were methods whereby the plantations could be restored to high productivity. The same thing may be possible, to some extent at least, in Samoa, and both that mandated group and the Dominion would benefit if only a measure of success were achieved. The cost of sending, say, two men with experience of rubber production in Malaya, or the Bast Indies, to Apia would be small and their advice might result in Samoa making some contribution to the supply of a material that is in great demand. There should be little difficulty in bartering the raw material for essential rubber goods, and that would assist io relieve the shortage. A