CANADIAN MAN-POWER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16851, 16 May 1918, Page 5

CANADIAN MAN-POWER.

»» —. •■. —. -■,„> .j ■ ARMY HAS FIRST CLAIM., / ,-..'.: LONDON, May 4. \ Recteb's correspondent at Ottawa states > •that, in reply to a deputation of Ontario ;<_„ farmers, asking that mrmers' sons should' not be called up owing to the scarcity of farm labour, Sir Robert Borden,' Canadian v ' Premier, frankly declared that the war -* situation demanded the reinforcement* of the army more than increased food production. "I cannot bring myself to stop . short of any measure calculated to |give our soldiers all the support they desire/' '.*'■■ said the Prime Minister. "We talk of '"v hardships and- sorrows; but/we' : -have'vh.O. conception of what is at present going f on in France, and what it means." The Prime Minister added tfiat while production was essential it -would be no* f ' answer to the decimated ranks that production had been slightly increased. " I want to tell you, he said in con- " clusion, " that if the British line, part 8£ which our men are holding, breaks, I do not know where you will get a market for your production. I leave it at that, feeling that yon are with us in the belief . ■ that the men overseas should be sustained." The Times correspondent at Ottawa, referring to the Canadian Government's taxation proposals, says that the Opposition is of the opinion that agricultural implements should be placed on the free list, ft>ut so far it has not pressed this point. The western grain-growers are strongly in favour of free agricultural implements, but do not propose to embarrass the Government by urging this issue. They say that the first thing is to win the war. The tariff is of secondary importance.