FARMER RESERVISTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17066, 26 July 1917, Page 7

FARMER RESERVISTS

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OTAGO AND I CANTERBURY. j A -well-known Otago ox-farmer, -whoso patriotic activities have led him to take a teen interest in all matters relating to the working of the land, the care of soldiers, and other important questions affecting the part the dominion is playing in the war, informed one of our reporters yesterday that he had noticed a report in which it was asserted that many Canterbury farmers were olamouring for oxomption from military sorvico for themselves, their eons, and their employees; that they were also insistent that cheap labour should bo provided for them and that the price for wheat should be increased. He wished to say that these conditions did not obtain in Otago. Farmers had been, on the whole, willing and anxious to do what was possible to ■tnablo their sons and employees to got to the front and do so organise their work that it could bo done with fewer men. A very largo number of small runs were now arranged in gToups, so that mustering and shearing might be done in turn by the same team of men, the owners combining to form a mustering team and doing the runs in rotation. The farmer said he knew of many farmers who were now doing tho equivalent of two or three men's work. In tho busy season it was not unknown for a farmer to work two teams of horses, giving them seven hours a day each. 'This meant a working day of at least 16 hours with the teams, and plenty of odd jobs to fill up the Sundays. Experience in reporting on cases of reservists referred to the Efficiency Board had shown that there wore very few who desired to evade their responsibilities. Most of theso wero' men with very real d.'fficulties, both financial and in finding substitutes to carry on their work. A farmer's business was also his home, as it were, and in giving up ono ho gavo up the other as well. To a married man this was a very serious hardship. Substitutes could be found only among married mea over military age, and as there was only one dwolling on most faims, the employment of a manager meant that tho reservist's wife and family must loavo their home. In spite of a considerable reduction in tho labour available, our _ informant said that tho area under cultivation had not been reduced, and it spoke volumes for the energy and industry of the rural community that this was so.