APPEALS FOR FARMERS’ SONS

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23300, 9 April 1941, Page 12

APPEALS FOR FARMERS’ SONS

■Sir—H. J. Buttle evidently thinks aw dud Will make a soldier. We want good men for the army,, as well as on fh*-farms in my opinion the British SfdierVcalling is the highest on earth It thl moment In support of my contention let me quote a few lines (by th* immortal R Burns), showing both sides leaving H. J. Buttle and other •readers to judge for themselves. For gold the merchant ploughs the main, The farmer ploughs the manor; But glory is the soldier's prize, The soldier's wealth is hpnom. • The brave poor soldier ne'er despise Nor count him as a stranger: • Remember he's his country's stay In day and hour of danger. , : The other side.— .Wha .will be a traitor knave Wha can fill a cowards grave, Wha sae base as be a slave, Let him turn and flee. -Yours, etc., Rplleston. April 8. 1941. Sir,—As a farmer's wife, with only two sons, one serving his country, the other at school, I do in many respects agree heartily with "No Exemptions. Certainly farming is hard work, but there are many fanners getting in sOme cases more, than one son off./ I agree there are certainly some genuine cases, but the "so-called genuine" cases rriake it terribly hard for a man with a real ca.se; he is almost ashamed to apply. Provided the farmer has a trac. tor; he can farm up to 400 or 500 acres with very little outside aid; my own husband does, and our farm is in firstclass order. At times, when necessary, I myself go out and do my share in the. paddocks, but it hurts when you see'others hiding their sons behind, a bag of wheat. Most fanners have daughters who can drive a car, so therefore should .be able to drive a tractor, milk, etc. 'I do and I find it no hardship, beside doing my own housework. My advice to the Appeal Boards is to get. one or two genuine ' men to go into the different districts and inquire into the cases, especially of some which have been adjourned sine die.—Yours, etc., FARMER'S WIFE. Ashburton, April 3, 1941." Sir,—l have read with interest your correspondents' letters on farm labour, upon which I am not going to comment, except one part of Mrs J. Hotehkin's letter. She says that the men are all gone, so it is quite evident that she does not attend the horse sales held at Rangiora on the first Friday of each v month. I have attended them regularly lately, and there is not the slightest evidence 9f even one man " missing; and 98 per cent, of them are • from young to. middle-aged. Why she imagines that they have -gone to the , war goodness knows, for many of them probably are from Amberley, where she lives. To give a further instance of this farm labour business, lately I adver-tised-through your columns for gorse? cutting, etc., as I have had a fair bit of farming experience and my parttime job jgives me some spare time; but would-you believe that I did not get Tone single reply? After visiting the horse sale, stock sale, and clearing ' sales, I am convinced that the farmer has more spare time'than I have, and ' I am astounded to know that girls are grubbing gorse and broom, while these farmers sit on the saleyards rails. It is my honest opinion that if it were not for the radio and newspapers letting Him know that there is a war on, he would have noticed nothing different now from any other time. Let us all sincerely hope that no farmer rests comfortably on his seat at the saleyards while a girl grubs his gorse. —Yours,' etc., FARM LABOURER. April 7, 1941. ["No Exemptions" may briefly reply; otherwise, this correspondence is now closed.—Ed., "The Press."]