The Dominion TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1944. IN ORDER OF URGENCY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 119, 15 February 1944, Page 4

The Dominion TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1944. IN ORDER OF URGENCY

One of the most urgent tasks confronting Parliament is consideration of the whole series of problems roughly grouped under the heading “manpower.” The position of the Dominion with respect to manpower has been stated with a brevity and a clarity that have enabled everyone to realize what it means. Sir Walter Layton, after his visit to this country, stated in the course of an interview, when on his way back to London, New Zealand and Australia cannot continue their present active part in the prosecution of the war and at the same time meet British and American demands for the development and production of base services and food supplies. That is the position which Parliament must face and with which' it must deal. The figures relating to production are available, together with estimates made by those in close touch with the primary industries. There is the weighty statement made by the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union some weeks ago: “We consider it our duty to state publicly that the production of food in New Zealand is on the down grade.” That, read in conjunction with Sir Walter’s conclusion, sets out the position and delay in dealing with it would expose the Dominion to the risk of serious embarrassment. It is reasonable to expect that the Government has already taken steps to ascertain the views of the British Government. The clearly recognized duty of this country is to direct its efforts so that the greatest needs of the Mother Country, and through it the cause of the United Nations, may be best served. If greater supplies of foodstuffs and raw materials are deemed more essential than fighting units then, despite the reluctance with which the adjustments fnay be made, they should be made. It has been computed by Mr. Colin Clark, Queensland Government Statistician—-a man with a World-wide reputation—that a male farm worker in New Zealand can produce enough to provide a reasonable diet for 40 people. In the Commonwealth, the ratio is 1 to 25, in the United States 1 to 11 and in Great Britain 1 to b persons. It is evident, on this basis, that the employment of our manpower on food production would represent a volume of production per unit of manpower that no other Allied country could equal,-and constitute no inconsiderable contribution to the united cause. It involves a major decision, one which only Parliament can make, but if it is agreed that the Dominion must be made a food production depot for the Allies, in much the same way that the United States and Great Britain have become the arsenals, then the procedure should be comparatively simple. The need will be increased production so that the first step will be to transfer to the work those who. are skilled at it. Men who have holdings and those who have been trained in various phases of production should be released from military duty, though always with the proviso that, in the event of a serious turn in the course of events, they could be recalled. Then the various processing plants must be manned to meet all demands, and the industrial machineiy of the State adjusted to changed requirements. This, in priority of both urgency and extent, will be the chi.et issue to come before Parliament. If the Government should be disinclined to introduce the subject—the official speech at the opening of the new session should provide some indicatioj) of its intentions then the responsibility will devolve upon the Opposition. Sir v\ alter Layton’s statement almost as it stands would form an effective amendment to the address-in-reply. And an early decision of this matter as highly desirable, because until it has been settled one way or the other subsidiary problems, many of them linked to manpower, cannot be dealt with in any practical manner. If first things are to be placed first, then the members of the new Parliament know at least what their initial task will be when they assemble.