FARMERS AND SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 March 1917, Page 7

FARMERS AND SERVICE.

DISPUTATION TO MINISTER. POSITION OF DAIRYING INDUSTRY. CO-OPERATION AND ORGANISATION. The ommiltee sot up by the farmers' meeting at Eltliam on Saturday waited v on Sir James Allen, Minister for' Defence, l: at Stratford on Wednesday evening, and ( placed before him tho position of the ' farmers of Taranaki ns affected by tlie r operations of the Military Service Act. < The deputation inet the Minister in ' the Borough Chambers, and were intro- ' duced to him by Mesrs IT. J. H. Okey i and C. A. Wilkinson, M'sP. ! Mr. Okey said a dairy farmer's busi- : ness was a one-man concern, and 90 per cent, of the farmers were men who would go into the second division. The ! farmers of the district were gravely ' concerned about their present position. The farmer realised the importance of ' keeping up the reinforcements, and yet '' he was faced with ruin if he had to give ' up his farm. i Mr. Wilkinson described the members ' of the deputation as earnest men, determined to assist the country in every ' possible way. The position was acute, and, if not dealt 'with, would result in a. considerable falling off in the production of the country. Some second divi eion men were considering the question of selling off their cows in order to be ready to go into camp when 'called on. Mr. .J. B. Murdoch, chairman of the. committee, briefly conveyed to the Minister tlie feeling of the farmers as it was expressed at the meeting at Eltham on Saturday.

Mr. A. Morton said members of the committee had conferred with the Military Service Board in New Plymouth and Hawc'ra. and had placed before them the difficult position in which the dairy farmers found themselves. Mr.' Morton said there was a great dearth of labor in the district, and farmers were at their wit's end to find men, not only to milk vows, but to do necessary cropping and the grubbing of noxious weeds. Unless this work were carired out, the farms would go back. The position amounted to this: Was it desirable that men should De taken off the farms and sent to the front, or should they endeavor to keep up the supply of munitions, that is, butter and cheese and other produce? Were the farmers of New Zealand to feed the sofdiers, or were others to feed them? The Prime Minister in England had said that production must be increased. The produce of New Zealand was.of vital importance , to the country. Mr. Morton said he looked with dread to September, when the now dairying season would commence. The Government would call up many more eligible men before then, and the speaker failed to see where the country was to get the necessary labor to carry on dairy farms. There should be smne system whereby men between the ages of 45 and 'OS, who were not at present in employment, could be called upon to go on the farms. There were surely men in the towns who would be put to work on the country. Mr. Morton hoped that some steps, would betaken to organise the lallor of the country so as to keep the producing industry up to standard. Mr. Morton said it woujd give great satisfaction to those engaged in the dairying industry if a fanner could be appointed io the Military Service Board.

Air. J. Quin said the task of working rough farm land was one for strong, able-bodied men, men who were fit for active service. It was also important that the Government should consider this when they were calling on men of this class. To increase production, new country must be broken. Town men or old men could not do this .work. In reply to the deputation, Sir James Allen said that Military Service Boards had been carefully selected for the purpose of considering the points raised by the deputation. The Hoards would be glad if the settlers would assist them and tell them the situation in which thev were placed. The Boards did not want to be unduly harsh on anv section of the community, and they would welcome' suggestions from a body representative of the farmers. With regard to the Boards themselves, Sir James said he (lid not see how the appointment of a dairy farmer was going to help the position. 'He thought the farmers' representative on the Board, when he heard the views of those prepared to assist the Board, mould be able to appreciate the,, conditions in any particular district. The ' matter of organising labor was now-.re-ceiving the attention of the authorities. A National Industrial Efficiency Board had been set up, alid this body, although not- having control of the Military Service Hoards, would co-operate with the latter and advise; them. The Efficiency Board would act in an advisory capacity in relation to the Government. The Minister sjjkUio did not quite see how the labor could be plated under compulsion. He hoped that as a result of co-operation and organisation a great deal would be achieved in the direction of improving the present position. He would be glad if the committee would keep the mutter alive. Mr. Moss a member of the Efficiency Board, would bo m Ibis district shortly, and would seek export advice as to the available labor aivr'the extent of the indutsries. Colonel Allen said no one hoped more than -Via did that .the second division would not be called on. No one, however, could look into the future. Before any steps would bo taken, the division ■wouldvbo classified in accordance with age and number of dependents. The division would not be called up for at least six months, and he hoped that before the commencement of tlie next season the country would be so organised as te meet the position. The Defence Department was doing what it could, and he hoped that some good work would be done by the new Efficiency Board. He hoped no dairy farmers would close down if it were p'ossible to keep on going. The production of the country must be kept up. Mr. Okey mentioned that the personnel of the first Wellington Military Service Board had been altered since it's constitution. If this could be done, could not a dairy farmer be appointed to act while the Board was operating in this district? Sir James Allen explained the reason for the alteration, which was only of it temporary nature, but suggested that no favoritism could be shown to any particular district. The deputation thanked Sir James [and withdrew.