FOOD POSITION

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 17, 15 October 1943, Page 6

FOOD POSITION

Heated Canberra Debate

CANBERRA, October 14. Ships were leaving for Britain witli empty refrigeration chambers, because Australia was not producing enough food, declared Mr. Anthony, New South Wales Country Party member, in a debate in the Federal House of Representatives on Australia’s food position. Opposition members alleged that the Government had failed to grapple with manpower problems. The debate was sometimes heated, and Major Cameron (United Australia Party) was suspended for refusing to withdraw a remark which the Speaker held to be a reflection on the Chair. This was the first suspension in the House since the war began. The suspension followed Mr. Cameron's refusal to apologize for having calied the Speaker “Rafferty in the Chair.” Replying to Mr. Anthony’s allegation that the release of 20,000 soldiers at the rate of 2000 a month for primary production was too slow, the Minister for the Army, Mr. Forde, said: “I would be a fool if willy-nilly I released thousands of men, regardless of the advice of General MacArthur and General Blarney.” The Minister said that last year the Australian Army temporarily released 30,000 men for farm work. At present nearly 3000 soldiers were on leave without pay, most of them being engaged in primary production. The Minister of Commerce, Mr. Scully, said the Government hoped to place more than 10,000 nominated men back on dairy farms; 15,000 men would go to food processing industries, and the Army seasonal workers’ rural pool would be increased to 10,000 men.