THE LAST MAN

Evening Star, Issue 16710, 17 April 1918, Page 3

THE LAST MAN

WHEAT-GROWERS’ APPEAL. SYMPATHY FROM THE PRIME MINISTER. [From Our Parliamentary Ekporter.] WELLINGTON, April 16. Whn-t is described as a last man on the farm deputation interviewed Hie Prime Minister to-day. accompanied by Messrs Dickie. Anstcy. Talbot. Nosworthv, n-ml J. M. Dickson, _ M.P-s. AW'Dickie, by way of introduction, stated that a dozen farmers in the deputafcion ramo from Methvcn and Kakaia. Many of them wore the last men cn their respective farms. They felt that the Military Appeal Board were not giving them as pinch consideration as others Wrio got sine die exemption. He ' would like to see all sine die men called on again to be re-examined. They represented 102 farmers, covering 6.Z00 acres, with liabilities of £543.000. Mr Win.- Morgan said the deputation came from one of the chief grain-growing districts. A groat, many men bad enlisted. and if this continued it would seriously affect the production of_ food. They asked for consideration. This had been given to some extent, but as many men who worked farms single-handed worn called up the position was serious. Although the trustee boards endeavored to replace men, they found it impossible to get persons who would sustain productivity as the original holders had done. The Appeal Board’s findings had not been consistent. Injustice bad been done one man, while another got off. Lastly there Webs tlm cGso of the former. wifli 635 acres, who farmed single-handed. He mso helped his father, who was 76 years of age and infirm. Tie was sent info Cl ramp. The speaker put iii_ several letters from farmers and grain agents to show what would be tho result in their financial position if the management of their properties were left to strangers. Ho know of a case whore a_ young fellow doing well incurred heavy liabilities. He was called mi. and if he enuld not return soon he might find himself a poor man. Air Thomas Moreland said he had no direct interest- in the deputation, but ho was the oldest • wheat-grower in Rahaia. having grown wheat for 41 years. He had one son, who had a nice little farm. _ Ho enlisted, and was now tinder the soil of France. The sneaker said he could rot work his own farm. but. bad to let ;t. Ho urged tho great imnnrtancc of ’-'coping on farms. Alen with no personal interest on the land of strangers would let the farms go derelict. Could not the Government make a hard-and-fast rule that the best man on the farm, the bona fide owner, should remain? There should bo no cases of one man taken and another left. Every man should be forced to stav on his farm till after the wav. “ I’m as anxious as any man to go to the front,” said an aged speaker. The lion. Air Massey : A'es, I know von would he.

Air Afoove : Tint taking the last man from farms will ruin the country. I’ve no direct- interest in this, but I’m not afraid to snv it is a false thing to stop food production. Air A. AlaeDonald emphasised the Ininortnnee of the district as a wheat-grow-ing area. It was hard to get ploughmen, while the quality of the men available was poor. Air W. IV. Goodwin stressed the point that the denotation were appealing for iirncHcal working. Farmers were the backbone of the country. They had to provide food, and find not eomrdained about the toxntion. Every fanner could provide fond for 500 peonle outside his own family. The Government, he admitted. had a hard task, but they ought to face the -position. Air IT. J. Harrison described the difficnltv of getting and training men. Two veers ago he grew 1.000 acres. AA’h-nt had not been paving for tho las! three .years. The Government were giving the middlemen a chance. Why not let the. growers send direct to (lie millers I 1 Tbev got £6 5s 4-I a ten without handling itHe was glad that, growers now had a free hand to trade with their wheat. Air J. ADNanltv mentioned the number of eases of the Inst man sent into -amp. ,vlm bed l-e-ii recommend-,! t.v Ibn Advisorv Boa'll as honest eases w..r!:hy of eonsiden-f ion. Thev were s-cf without, a chance of threshing their wheat, owing to the speeding-nn of reinforcements. The Rri me Aliniste” asked if anvthing had bean done to r»os!none the calling nn of these men until they cleared up the farm. Air ADNanltv said efforts were vainly made, but in one case a man’s younger b-other who enlisted ami had no experience of wheat-growing was ordered to take charge of the farm if be failed to pass the medical examination.

Mr AlneDonnld commented on the exemotions granted to shepherds compared with ploughmen and farm laborers, miners and butchers. “PRODUCTION MUST BE SUSTAINED.’'

The lion. Air Alassey, in reply, agreed with the deputation Hint it was not in the country’s interests to have unoccupied farms. A farmer who found food also provided finance for the country, if production were not sustained finances would suffer, and it was only because our finance was so good that we had been aide to carry on onr share of the war. However, on the other side of the question they ' ad to consider Air Lloyd George’s appeal to the Empire for more men—an indUa tion in the plainest possible, terms that the safety of the Empire depended on tbs supply of soldiers. Then; was no possible getting away, from it. but it ought to be possible to send tho men urgently required without interfering seriously with wheat-production. It was more necessary to keep up wheat-growing than any other branch of agricultural and pastoral operations. (Hear, hear.) He knew the difficulty of obtaining wheat from other countries, and realised that the wheal-growing farmer had not. received much encouragement tinring recent years. Lots of people in Parliament and mui-ide thought the wheal-growers did well, but he was bound to say he regarded this as the least profitable of agricultural operations.

Air Alassey described the situation regarding the shipment of produce and the scarcity of shipping, and assured the deputation that sufficient men would be left in wheat areas to enable production to go nn. “I go the length of saying.” he added. “ that it is necessary, in the interests of the country, it should go cn. nnd I am convinced that tho necesary arrangements will he made; but we are going to find Hie. number of men asked for, and. I believe we. can also keep production going. I believe the organisation of industries will enable us to Uo everything we have promised.” Afenibcrs of the. Deputation ; Leave ns the Inst man.

Air Alassey : “ I agree with the priucijile laid down, and f want to acknowledge that farmers generally have done their duty.” Ho went on to stale his opinion that sine die exemptions should be overhauled.

The deputation raised the question that tho last men nn the farms were receiving earlier notice to re-enter camp than originally given. thus preventing the stacking, threshing, and -delivering of wheat

The Prime Minister called in the secretary of the Hecrniting Board, who slated that the date of concentration fixed by the 'Military Service Board had not been advanced. Ho undertook to inquire into personal cases raised by the deputation. the Prime Minister finally remarked, who i the deputation thanked him for his sympathetic answer, that the Government originally gave instructions for the carrying out- of the last man on the farm policy, but it broke down owing to families subdividing farms to avoid the conscription of brothers.