WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1917, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

; MILITARY SERVICE,, / ADVJCE BY THE .MINISTER. , (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, March 14. The Acting-lVinie Minister, as chair-, 11111:1 of the Kcemiling lioaril, is urging fa fillers drawn in the ballot not to leave iheir hind idle while they are away at the war. Oases have been brought under I,ls notice in which farmers "are selling oil' (heir stock and shutting lip their properties" rather than mttkc appeals to thV Military .Service Board for exemption or application to the Xfttienal Klliefcncy Board for advice and. assistance. Sir .lames Allen, impressed, no doubt, liv representations that havo been madi' to him throughout the country, is very much in earnest about this matter, and wishes it to be widely known that the tiovernnient regards the production of foodstuff* in wur time j» a national necessity of the first importance. Tie has not suggested that every , farmer who appeals will be excused from .service, but he JiaSt implied that the need for keeping the farms going will bo very sympathetically considered. THE WORKERS' CASE. The workers generally are not disposed to complain of spfeial consideration being extended to farmers and * farm' laborers in the matter of exerap- • tion from military service, but they claim, apparently with some reason, ;that there are numbers of men engaged in other industries just, as essential as the primary producers are to the welfare of the Dominion and the Umpire. The raiiwaymen, the carters, the watersiders, and the seamen, they instance, all have a hand ill getting the products o£ ' the country to their destination, aa\d are as well entitled to special consideration | as are the mei. who own the land and the hands they directly employ. The larger questions of keeping the worker's home going and his job open while he is at the fybnt follow as a matter of course, but their discussion leads to more intricate problemc than can to even stated here.