FARMERS BUSY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 July 1940, Page 7

FARMERS BUSY

MEETING AT GLADSTONE DISTRICT ORGANISATION SET UP. TO ENSURE MORE PRODUCTION. (“Times-Age” Special.) At a well attended meeting of settlers from the Te Whiti, Gladstone and Longbush districts, held on Tuesday evening, Mr Duncan McGregor being in the chair, it was unanimously decided to set up a local committee of the Wairarapa District Committee of the National Primary Production Council. The local committee consists of two representatives from each of the Te Whiti, Gladstone and Longbush districts. The members elected were as follow:—Chairman, Mr D. McGregor; secretary, Mr J. Mitchell; Gladstone. Messrs D. McGregor, A. Wyeth and A. McKay; longbush, Messrs A. Ross and J. Mitchell; To Whiti, Mr W. H. Bradley. Mr McGregor and Mr Ross both spoke at length on the urgency of the task that was ahead of all New Zealand farmers. The definite undertaking already given to the Mother Country to help to fill the gap left in supplies of essential foodstuffs was stress ed. The meeting left no doubt as t< its determination to "produce the goods” on a voluntary basis. Various detailed local plans were discussed such as the problem of potentially useful land at present lyinf idle; the growing of peas or barley: additional hay-making, and co-oper.-r tion in man power and agricultural impliments. In this connection the committee is happy to report the offer of Mr J. V. Reid, Longbush, of the use oJ his tractor and full range of implements to go anywhere and undertake productive work in charge of his own competent driver. The offer has beet, accepted, and is a splendid lead in this form of co-operation. Promises were also made by vai iou: settlers for the ploughing up of a total of 100 acres additional to the ordinary acreage usually ploughed each year. At a committee meeting which followed the general meeting, it was resolved to keep the settlers in the three districts informed of all plans for increased production and by a personal farm to farm canvas and with the helpful co-operation of the Press to obtain promises of definite increases over last year's programmes.