IDEALS AND ACTION

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1940, Page 6

IDEALS AND ACTION

"A country completely mobilised economically into public service, devoted to national ends and regardless of selfish interests" was the ideal of Britain at war laid before the House of Commons just before the Germans attempted to invade Great Britain by air. The same ideal must obtain and be striven for in New Zealand if the Dominion is to provide the support expected of every unit of the Empire. There is a long way to go before the ideal is attained. In many respects the Dominion is still in the process of changing from peace to war economy, and some of the efforts made appear almost a refusal to recognise that such a change must be fundamental and continuous. Of the urgency there can be no doubt. The more spirit and enterprise any industry or organisation displays in seeking victory the more are expected of it. That is the honourable reward for wartime service. The airman who shows skill and courage above the average is given even more difficult tasks to undertake. The miner, the farmer, the artisan, anyone in fact who can increase the industrial output is, expected to do still more. Once the lesson has been learned that the only reward is more service for the common cause and not individual profit New Zealand will have passed another stage on the journey towards the ideal of a democracy at war.

The chief duty apportioned to the Dominion is the provision of daify produce, meat, wool &nd eggs to the United Kingdom. The first in order of importance is a large increase in the shipments of cheese. As most people are aware, Britain lost former sources of large supplies when the Germans overran Denmark and Russia absorbed the smaller Baltic States and put her heel upon Finland. The demand is urgent in that cheese is required for feeding Britain's fighting forces and this is I known and recognised by the dairy | industry, There was every reason for the belief that the Dominion couid supply the additional 15,000 tons of cheese Great Britain was ready to purchase and to increase that amount in the years to come. But special organisation was essential and this has been undertaken by the Government with the wholehearted co-operation of the farming industry. Much of the plan was well devised, some of it was at first too swaddled in red tape for lusty development, and there is still room for improvement in certain administrative directions, particularly in regard to the provision of labour for the farms. There is a lack of decision and precision, a Jack of spirit and enterprise in this direction which friendly critics of the move-

Iment for increased production regard as distinctly dangerous to its healthy and rapid development. There is procrastination also in announcing the prices farmers may expect to receive, and while it is necessary that Ministers should have ample time in which to pursue negotiations with Great Britain the farming industry has a right to expect that the conditions it is expected to accept should be decided and announced with at least the promptitude that is accorded to organised iabour when it seeks simiiar announcements from the Court of Arbitration. * # # # But although the more production plan has suffered from human fallibility and political inhibitions its minor weaknesses are lessening. The objective of increased farm output is being reached, for the main factor in reaching it, namely, the effort of the individual producer is being made ungrudgingly. He has been aided by exceptionally good spring weather, but there is no question about the increased efforts being made on the farms of Taranaki. To fulfil their purpose the larger output must be viewed in terms of years, not months, and preparation for next year's increase must be carried out during the current season. With this issue of the Taranaki Daily News is published a special farm supplement in which will be found suggestions and proposals for attaining the desired increase. Broadly the advice takes two directions, "grow more and waste iess." Grow more fodder, keep more cows, pigs and poultry and thus increase the volume of food available for export to Great Britain. The advice is being heeded throughout the province. From all districts comes the story of more topdressing of pastures, more preparation of land for root crops, better provision for swine husbandry and increased supplies of milk to cheese "factories. Farmers have accepted almost with- J out demur the transfer from home j separation of milk to its supply for j cheese manufacture, although in j many cases it has meant consider- ! able expenditure by Ihe individual. Dairy coinpanics have exlended the

principle of co-operation to facili- = tate the transfers of suppliers from i butter to cheese factories and the \ changes have been made with \ remarkably little friction and with i no setbacks to manufacture.

r # # # # § The adaptation of the farmers' \ efforts towards war purposes so far i I as it has gone has been excellent. : He will be the first to admit that j there is much more to be done, § many leaks to be stopped in order = that waste may be avoided, still = more enterprise and spirit to be = shown in improving farm lands and | stock. The expert, the scientist, j local bodics, public men and Parlia- : ment itself are willing to assist in \ the movement. In the economic as j well as in the military field the presi: sure on the enemy must be relent- : less and events of the past few days : ha . e shown that it is upon its own ; efforts the British commonwealth j must depend if that pressure is to : be effective in bringing victory. : Within that commonwealth, al- ; though planned production and co- ; ordination of effort are essentials to ; success, the root of the matter lies : after all in the determination and efficiency of the individual. It is the acceptance by the individual farmers of Taranaki and in som " cases by their wives and families of this truth that justifiep optimism in regard to the province doing more than supply its quota of the inci-ease in exports desired by Great Britain. Individuals, co-operative factories, research workers, departmental officials, the Dairy Board, the special organisation set up to further the production plan and many mercantile . organisations and the Ministry„ are all playing their part. The success they are attaining will bring them the rich reward of more work for the cause of freedom. As a tribute to the spirit that will welcome such a reward, and in the hope that the experiences recorded and the advice offered will aid those future efforts the farm supplement is issued.