PLOUGHING BY NIGHT

Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1917, Page 4

PLOUGHING BY NIGHT

Speeding Up British Cultivation London, Feb 28 “We want 2,000 American tractor ploughs for the use of a civilian army ■of night ploughers which we are about to enlist throughout ihe British Isles," ■aid Sir Arthur Lee, Director-General of Food Pred action, to the Associated Pres?. This new department, which is the ontgrowth of Germany’s submarine campaign, aims at the enlistment of several hundred thousand eivilians to cultivate every available bit of soil. We hope to make the tractor ploughs fill tbe gaps caused by the shortage in labor,” centinned Sir Arthu. “ For this reason we are going to import 2,000, or as many as we can, from America. We ars going to equip them with headlights ftir night ploughing. Labourers can work oa eight hours, but traotors can work 24 hours. They will be driven by taxicab drivers and cbaffaure, who will be able to learn their mechanism in a few honrs.

“ Behind every plough will be a skilled farmer. They will be as. sisted by prisoners, conscientious ob. jeotors, members of the home defenoe foroes and women. In this way we hope to produce enough food to make ns indedendent ci outside help ae long as the war lasts. We do not believe we will be able to produce sufficient to feed the populationiu time of peace, but are confident we will be ablo to grow enough to stavo oft starvation during tbe war. “ For this we thank the German submarines. They a’roady have given England the agricultural policy which is destined to make us to a large extent self-supporting. The submarines also have revived rural life, giving the farmers a minimum wage and generally making our national defence more effective than a thousand speeches in Parliament.”