BRITAIN’S FOOD

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9630, 10 April 1917, Page 6

BRITAIN’S FOOD

URGENT APPEAL “RESPONSIBILITIES GRAVE BEYOND AVOEDS." The British Prime Minister has addressed to the president of the National Free Church Council, the Eev. J. 11. Shakespeare, an urgent appeal for his help "in securing the fullest cooperation of all members of the tree Churches in carrying forward tho great national campaign for economy and increased production.”

“I know.” 'writes Mr Lloyd George, “that a great deal has already been done to use gardens, allotments, and waste laud for increased production of food in the coming year, but 1 em sure you will agree that we can make still greater efforts in this direction, and it is right that all who have been chosen to fill positions of leadership in cur countryside should direct special thought and effort to making tho best use of our native resources at the present crisis. THE ENEMY OF WASTE.

“Pastors and teachers have a unique opportunity of renderiao national service now. We have to combat in every corner of the land the enemy of waste. We have to see that we are using our spare hours and the spare bits of laud that lie around us in the national service, by producing potatoes and other valuable foods for the coming year. In this work old and young alike can do their ‘bit,’ and how proud the young children of England to-day will be when they look ’back in after years to this time, and think how they. too. helped their country to win the greatest of crusades in history. “But, as you know, action, to be fully effective, must be not simply individual, but united. England hag rightly gloried in her free societies, and this tradition will again serve us well to-day. We must freely organise ourselves for production and distribution. Let the people everywhere, under their leaders, form themselves into croups to help one another in the work of production, for if we combine our purchases, for example, of seeds and manures, we shall make our work both easier and more economical.

“ORGANISE”—THE WATCHWORD. “The central and local authorities who are now in a position to give most valuable help, cannot assist individual men and women as they can deal with organised groups. Therefore, one of the first things to, be done everywhere is for men and women locally to organise themselves into groups that they may help one another tho patter, and that they may 00-operato with the public authorities. ‘Organise’ must be one of our watchwords, and I ask you to appeal to the clergy and teachers of the Free Churches to take this work up energetically. “There is no time to lose; the spring will soon bq upon us, and unless we catch the spring our chance this year ha-s gone. Our responsibilities at this time are grave beyond words. No one can say how much the future depends on our efforts during these next few months, and I look to you and your colleagues in the Free Churches to take a great part in helping forward this work throughout the length and breadth of the land."