NATIONAL EFFICIENCY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1712, 15 May 1917, Page 3

NATIONAL EFFICIENCY.

WORK OF TRUSTEE BOARDS. Some interesting: sidelights on the work of the National Efficiency Board were given to a Post reporter on Saturday by Mr T. Moss, Wellington, member of the Board, who has recently paid a visit to Rongotea and surrounding district. Rongotea, he said, contained as good land as you could get in the North Island. There is a very up-to-date butter factory there, but the directors are somewhat anxious as jo the future, owing to the fact that, some of the hardest-working

suppliers of milk have been (‘ailed up for service. These men cannot be replaced. The dairy, he added, serves a large property lately opened and cut up by the Government for returned soldiers. He was taken round the property, which he regarded as a very good proposition —good land on reasonable terms. The members, of the Wellington Land Board were in (he (listrid inspecting the areas that have been cut up for returned soldiers, and Mr Mo-s expressed the opinion that off 50 acres of such land a man could make a good living. There had been some eases of exceptional hardship of farmers called up, and a big nn cling was held, farmers coming in from considerable distances. The farmers realised (he seriousness of Ihe position, hut the trouble was that there is a tendency for exceptionally good land to go hack into sheep, owing to the shortage of labour, and it' was suggested that the Government should impose resi notions, so •that; land of good qualily adjaeenl (<> a dairy factory must )>e used for dairying. ‘T pointed out,” said Mr Moss, ‘‘that the position was very difficult, and (he Government might make the alternative demand, in some eases, that dairying 1 country should he turned o\icr to sheep.” Dealing with I lie work of (he Boards of Trustees, Mr Moss showed by reports what useful work Cue Hoards of Trustees are doing. Independent and perfeelly unbiassed reports are, for instance, supplied for the information of the Military Service Board on Ihe position of men who arc appealing on account of (heir being engaged in farming. Furlher. if a rclnrncd soldier takes up land, the Board of Trustees is (here to advise him as to stocking, buying, ploughing, and so on; and the Board also reports on the applications of men going to the front who have applied for financial assistance. The Boards are doing the work gratuitously, except in respect to office expenses and travelling expenses, hut in some places local committees have formed to collect even that portion of the cnst, even to the extent of paying a see ret a rv.