FOOD PRODUCTION

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 133, 7 June 1945, Page 8

FOOD PRODUCTION

NEED FOR INCREASE

RELEASE OF FIGHTING MEW

"The Government must make up its mind whether it wants more food or more fighting men," declared - Mr. J. H. Mcllroy at this week's meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, which decided to lend its full support to primary producers' organisations in. any effort to increase production. The following' resolution was passed.'.—

That in view of the critical food situation, no more farm workers should be called up for military ser-. vice; instead, every effort should be^ devoted to > the production of more1;

foodstuffs,

It was further decided to ask the. Government for fen early decision and pronouncement on the matter, and to institute a scheme of priority of return for farmers overseas. Mr. Mcllroy said the chamber should*, support the Meat Board on this issue.*; An opinion from the chamber mightti help the Primary Production Councils*, "Is the Government going to continue^, calling up farmers' sons when there isa dire need for more food supplies?" he asked. ' , ,'' Mr. W. I. Cunninghame suggested^ that some system of priority of returns should be introduced for farmers at present serving overseas. There were, many cases where the fathers of thesemen were carrying on their farms under extreme difficulty. , 4 . Mr W H. Hindle remarked that such, a priority already applied to Germanprisoners of war to enable them to. return to their own country for farmwork. -. . ' v Mr Frank Wilson said it was not a question of man-power for primary production only. "We are entitled to expect very soon some specific pronouncement by the Government about the release of men from t&e fighting services for other forms of civil production," he said. "We are on solid grouncVwhen it comes to the question of- food produc-j;; tion," said the president (Mr. S. W* Peterson). "It is a matter in which.* New Zealand has a special r'esponsi^ bility."