ORGANISING RESOURCES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3276, 27 December 1916, Page 5

ORGANISING RESOURCES.

STATEMENT BY MR ALLEN. AUCKLAND, December 21. The question whether the New Zealand Government contemplated applying the principle of the levy en masse in tho dominion, thus following the example of Britain, was asked of the Acting Prime Minister (tho Hon. James Allen) to-day. In reply, Mr Allen said the problem was too big to face in the absonoo of the Prim© Minister and Sir Joseph Ward in London. "We have ntft been neglecting this important subject, however." Gait! the Minister. "As a matter of fact, the Cabinet has been considering questions of employment during two yearp. and of the best means of keeping tho productivo industries of the country going for some time. _We hav« done a great deal of work in this matter, and have collected much data, one objective beincr the utilisation of productive labour. If tho war is to go on it is impossible to say what we may have to do in New Zealand. W.» must keep mi the strength of our forces at tho front, and at the same time we must keep our industries going. Though a " lot ha? been done by farmers' organisation* and others, a great deal more ought to bo done to get the" be9t out of our own people,"-