TERRITORIAL TRAINING

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LXII, Issue 18, 7 March 1941, Page 3

TERRITORIAL TRAINING

DESIRE TO ASSIST FARMERS

RE-CONSIDERATION OF

RESERVISTS' CASES

Although the postponement of the territorial training until April 1 of many reservists employed on farms has been of very material assistance to grain growers in the harvesting of their crops, it has at the same time been very apparent that the departure for camp for three months' training from April 1 of teamsters and tractor drivers would seriously interfere with the preparation of land and sowing of crops for next season. In Ellesmere, for instance, a large proportion of the wheat acreage must be sown in the late autumn or ;early winter to give a reasonable prospect of an adequate yield being obtained. The period from April 1 until the end of May, if the weather conditions are anything like normal, is a very busy one on wheat-growing farms. Ploughing and' working down should be completed in time for sowing to begin in earnest during the latter part of May, otherwise it may be impossible to do much until the late spring, when wheat sowing in many areas is out of the question.

It has been noted that in certain instances the Man-Power Committee is prepared to reconsider the cases of reservists whose territorial training has been postponed until April 1. This policy has arisen out of the desire of the; Government to ensure that the sowing- of crops for next season is interfered with as little as possible, especially in the case of wheat. Where the decisions already made are considered likely to seriously restrict farmers in the sowingl of wheat, resulting in a decrease in production, the Man-Power Committee should be notified by the farmers concerned, who should make application for reconsideration, giving details of their proposed sowings in support of such applications.

It is probable that the local Farm Committees will make recommendations concerning men whose cases they consider should be reviewed, but it should be emphasised that the farmers themselves must make the applications for re-hearing. The importance of maintaining production will be given full consideration by the Man-Power Committee, which, of course, must also keep in mind the need for adequate home defence training.

Men whose training is postponed in the interests of production will be expected to go into camp for their three months training on July 1. The opinion of the majority of Ellesmere farmers seems to be that it would be much more convenient if the men were to go into camp on June 1 instead of July 1. They would then be available for work on the. farms again in September, when preparations for spring wheat sowing on-, much of the heavy land are usually in full swing, In view of the importance of maintaining production at as high a level as possible, it is very desirable that the camp period for teamsters and tractor drivers should begin on June 1 and end on August 31.