Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1939. NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 December 1939, Page 6

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1939. NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE.

TT may be hoped that an overwhelming majority o£ farmers throughout the Dominion, and not least in the AVairarapa., will agree unreservedly that political feeling must not be allowed to stand in the way of a loyal and ready response to the appeal now being made for increased production. Some very important questions are open and unsettled in regard to measures of economic and financial policy as they affect the position of farmers in relation to that of other sections ot the community. Today, however, with the realities of the war being brought home more and more sharply, these questions of domestic adjustment are overshadowed and plainly should be allowed in great part to stand over for later attention. The supreme demand now made upon all sections of the population of the Dominion is for an effective and worthy war effort, and in that effort, an inerease*in production which will enable this country to make a maximum contribution to the supplies needed by the people of the Homeland takes an essential place. With sources of supply in Europe meantime ent off, Britain must have increased supplies from the Dominions il she is to continue in full vigour her own magnificent war effort until victory has been achieved. It is, of course, useless to ask primary producers to do what it is beyond their power to do, and where obstacles to increased production are shown to exist farmers will have every right to ask for the co-operation of other sections of the community in removing these obstacles. The right approach to a. practical treatment of the whole question was made at a meeting of the Masterton District Council of Primary Production on Tuesday, when a resolution was passed declaring in part that:— We feel that the appeal for increased production in reality comes from the men, women and children of the British Isles and therefore can neither be ignored nor regarded as a political issue. While reserving absolute freedom to express in word or action our personal and individual political convictions, we pledge ourselves to do our utmost and appeal to all farmers to co-operate to the full in support of the appeal to increase primary production and to ensure that an adequate supply of foodstuffs for the British people is maintained. 11l selling up sub-committees lor each branch of farming, tin* District Council has provided a means of dealing methodically with whatever obstacles or difficulties may be found to stand in the way of increased production. Far as the outlook for the future is in some respects from being determined, it is possible that the policy of enterprise now demanded in the interests of war strength and efficiency involves some risks. Conceivably primary production in this country may be so expanded during the war period as io intensify .and aggravate problems of marketing when the war is over. That risk, if it exists, must be taken. The need of an ample flow of supplies of primary produce is absolute and must be satisfied. At a time when men are giving their lives day by day in warfare on land and sea and in the air, and there is a prospect of vastly greater sacrifices being demanded, there can be no question of timidly avoiding economic risks. Tn point of fact, however, il may be doubted whether any extreme risks need be taken in expanding our primary production on th<“ scale involved in meeting Britain’s war time needs. At worst, as the member for Wairarapa (Air Ben Roberts), observed al the meeting of the District Council, wo may rely on the common sense and goodwill of I’ritain after the war. The larger hope also appears that the re-establishment of peace may introduce more liberal and enlightened international relationships and remove many shackles now imposed on world trade. In conditions of real peace, with nations no longer bled white in order to build up armaments, there would be an enormous expansion of lhe world demand for foodstuffs ami other useful commodities. These things are in lhe lap of lhe future, bid meantime an increase in primary production—indeed in all possible forms of production—-in I Ills country is demanded as an indispensable coni ribul ion to our national war effort and I hat of the Empire. From a larger standpoint Ilian that of any sectional interest, our farmers are bound to respond to that demand by every means in their power. It goes without saying that in making the effort demanded of them farmers have every rigid Io look to lhe Government and 1o other sections of the population for fair and jusl treatment and co-operation. The regulation of internal trade and industry, not least transport and cargo handling, taxation and other factors all have their vital bearing on the possibility of increasing production from lhe land. The appeal addressed Io farmers, while it is in ilself of cardinal importance, would be meaningless if il did not imply lll,al all sections of the population will be asked and must be prepared Io play their full part in the war effort to which lhe Dominion is committed.