WAR DEMANDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 January 1940, Page 5

WAR DEMANDS

ON BRITISH FARMERS MINISTER ACKNOWLEDGES FINE RESPONSE. GREAT INCREASE IN AREA UNDER PLOUGH. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. January 8. A tribute to the response made by farmers to demands made on agriculture was paid today by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith, in a speech to the Farmers’ Club. “The response has already been magnificent.” he said “After less than 130 days of war, well over 1.000,000 acres have been scheduled for ploughing and much has already been ploughed.” K Great as was the need for farming to make contributions in war time, the Agriculture Mipistry’s policy was more than an emergency measure, and was an endeavour to make British farming a “credit-worthy industry,” in which the claims of labour were as fully recognised as benefits to employers. After dealing with policy details,. Sir Reginald DormanSmith declared: “The task of rebuilding the British countryside has already in part begun." The farmer’s job was equally as responsible as anyone’s, said Sir Reginald. There must be a sterner effort in 1940-41 if the war were to be continued. Prices constituted the main problem. The Government was seeking a fixed level. The immediate task was to produce the maximum amount in the shortest time. Agriculture would have to depend on women to an increasing extent, as in the last war.