BRITISH AGRICULTURE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 February 1939, Page 5

BRITISH AGRICULTURE

NEW MINISTER’S POLICY

EXPANSION OF FOOD PRODUCTION. NEED OF SWIFT AND DIRECT ACTION. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. LONDON, February 2. The new Minister of Agriculture, Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith, in his first speech as Minister today, said that if Britain was to achieve that expansion of food production from her own soil which he considered necessary, action must be swift and direct, and if they expected the workers to return to the land they must have a fair deal. The Government had already expressed its general approval.

CONTROL MEASURES NEED OF GREATER STABILITY OF PRICES. PROPOSED COMMODITY COUNCILS. (British Official ’Wireless./ (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) RUGBY, February 2. The Minister for Agriculture, Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith, speaking during the House of Commons debate on a private member’s motion, calling for measures to ensure prices which would cover the cost of efficient production, and the regulation of imports, agreed that, unless there was greater stability of "prices, farmers could not maintain the fertility and productivity of their land. As to import regulations the Government already had accepted the principle of commodity councils, as proposed at the Empire Producers' Conference in Sydney, and favoured that method of control. He indicated that legislation that might be necessary would be introduced as quickly as possible after the conclusion of the review of agriculture which now was p roceed i ng.