AID FOR BRITAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26558, 5 September 1947, Page 4

AID FOR BRITAIN

Valuable Support Enlisted

INFLUENTIAL ORGANISATIONS

P.A. WELLINGTON, Sept. 4. “We have been getting on with the job as quickly as humanly possible,” said Mr F. P. Walsh, chairman of the permanent Aid for Britain Committee, to-night when asked what progress had been made during the week in connection with the Aid for Britain campaign.

Mr Walsh saicl he had met various interests during the week, such as representatives of the motion picture industry and representatives of the potato merchants and growers. In each case discussions had taken place bearing on publicity associated with the new campaign as well as on new production targets for which arrangements were at present being made.

Two of the principal meeting's during the week were associated with the fertiliser industry and the main publicity organisation for the campaign. Yesterday afternoon representatives of the superphosphate manufacturers and workers in the industry, together with officers of the Department of Agriculture met a special sub-committee consisting of Mr H. E. Blyde, vice-presi-dent of the Federated Farmers, and Mr H. G. Kilpatrick, national president of the freezing workers’ organisation, together with Mr W. Horrobin, of ths Wool Board, who was co-opted for the purpose. Farm Production Drive

“It is realised that it will be vital to the success of the higher farm production drive this season for fertilisers to be available in adequate quantities as well as promptly delivered in the next few months, Mr Walsh said. “The sub-committee exhaustively examined the problems at present facing the industry and recommendations have been prepared for the Aid for Britain Committee at its meeting on Tuesday relating to the- labour and transport problems involved.” Already, as a result of the meeting, the Secretary of Labour has agreed to issue an appeal for 20 worker’s for the superphosphate works in Auckland and eight for one of the Dunedin works to enable additional deliveries to be effected during the next two months at least. Certain other labour requirements for other works were expected to be made known in a few days.

The Labour Department had promised full co-operation in securing the immediate needs of the industry. It was expected also that a recommendation would be made by the main committee allowing farmers to cart fertiliser and lime for their neighbours. In addition, the sub-committee discussed problems concerning lime distribution and further discussions are to take place next week. Publicity Campaign

Since the meeting of the Aid for Britain Committee last week, the Government has approved the committee s recommendation in regard to an overall publicity organisation for the campaign, added Mr Walsh, and invitations were issued during the week to representatives of some 12 non-Government organisations and a similar number of Government departments concerned with publicity and advertising. An initial meeting was held this morning, and among non-Gov-ernment organisations represented were the Women’s Division of the Federated Farmers, Women’s Institutes, the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association, the New Zealand Journalists’ Association, the Master Printers’ Association, the Printing Trades’ Association, motion pictures exhibitors and distributors, the Inter-Church Council, and the Junior Chamber of Commerce.

Mr R S. Orbell, information officer to the Prime Minister’s Department was chairman of the meeting and it was stated later that a full examination was made of all the problems associated with the increased publicity drive which is imminent. A full-time secretary has been appointed for the purposes of the committee’s work. In addition to the appointment of an executive to deal with the more detailed day-to-day matters relating to various aspects of publicity, special committees were appointed to report back to the full committee at its next meeting on specific publicity driven and on certain questions relating to the committee’s work. One of the sub-committees was ot four women representatives, who are to report to the next meeting on means of disseminating information to the

women of the Dominion by way of talks to ' women’s organisations and any othfer ways considered appropriate. Intensified Maori Effort Mr Walsh reported on the progress which had been made in regard to the maize production drive on the East Coast. In addition to the work of the Agriculture Department officers in the area, three officers of the Native Department ' have been detailed specially for immediate work m the East. Coast area, with the object of increasing the acreage of maize sown in the district by Maoris this year. Sir Apirana Ngata had assured him that the Maoris on the East Coast would do their utmost to increase maize and kumera production. “ Yesterday,” Mr Walsh said, “ I addressed a conference of growers of potatoes and merchants, and at this meeting a unanimous resolution was carried in which they pledged themselves to assist in a campaign for the sowing of 25,000 acres of potatoes. Department of Agriculture officers advised that they would do everything possible io see that sufficient seed potatoes were available to growers and to home gardeners.”