Correspondence

Levin Daily Chronicle, 24 March 1917, Page 3

Correspondence

[Our correspondents' opinions are their own; tho responsibility of editorial ones makes sufficient ballast for the editor's shoulders). RAIDING OUR FARMERS. (To the Editor). Sir, —The Massey-Ward Fusion Cabinet's incapacity is flagrant. Ignoring the really splendid loyalty exhibited by the farming community prior to conscription, they are- combing out more I aimers, while thousands of semirebels and semi-conscriptionists throng our city. I say it is suicidal to destroy our producing (interests wliji'le immense numbers of men of no value to the country remain behind. If the war proceeds all able-bodied men will bo needed, but the farmers should be taken last of all. One farmer is of more value than a thousand pastors or priests. The fusion misfits are aiding the Germans by sending our farmers, the' chief producers of the country, who have already done nobly in enlisting so far, while thousands of nonproducers crowd all our cities. For the want of a protectionist tariff we have a very few industries in our towns while the few we have are sheltered under our revenue tariff. ~ Under these conditions the prosperity of the dominion depends very largely on the productiveness of our land. So to take oui- trained agriculturists from their farms is high treason so far as our economic interests are concerned. The nincompoops that are in charge of the Empire's affairs at Home seem to have doi>:> the same- thing, and as a result, after being threatened with starvation for the last two and a half, years they have only managed to increase the area under cultivation in England by the paltry addition of 20,000 acres, when, they had acted intelligently, the increase would have been 2,000,000 acres. How the Germans must hold us in

deiision? Hence their submarine campaign, with the object of starving Britain. There are thousands of Austrians in the dominion, many of them earning from 10s to '15s a day, while farmers are being compelled to leave their farms. 1 suggest that all of these Austrians who are willing should be sent to the front, and the remainder be made to work on the farms of the farmers who are called up. at wages according to the work done. In the meantime these aliens are having a. pood innings at our own countrymen's expense, which is neither equitable or fair. As things are. it is better to be an alien than a Britisher— thanks to the Fusion Cabinet.—l am, etc., AN HONEST SCEPTIC, No. 2. Heatherlea. March 23rd, 1917.