NATIONAL EFFICIENCY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 959, 8 March 1917, Page 5

NATIONAL EFFICIENCY.

THE PRIMARY PRODUCERS

ORGANISING RURAL LABOUR. A MEETING OF FARMERS. After The Sun went lo press yestcrday, the conference between Mr «L A. Frosticlc, Canterbury Commissioner on the National Efficiency Board, and representative primary producers from various parts of Canterbury north of the Rakaia River was continued. Mr D. .tones, president of the North Canterbury Farmers' Union, referred to some remarks which Mr J. S. Evans, S.M., chairman of the First Canterbury Military Service Board, made at Ashburlon yesterday with regard to the shortage of labour. Mr Evans had spoken of 20 replies having been received to an advertisement for a ploughman, but he had not said whether all these ploughmen were in employment or not, or whether they were men in employment looking for better wages. If the chiarman of the Military Service Board were judging by what he heard on the street it was an extraordinary attitude for him to take up. Another speaker said that in his district men were shifting from place to place, always leaving one place empty. Mr Frostick said the point showed thai it was all the more necessary to get the district committees now, instead of wailing for the Second Division to be called up, so that the exact position could be ascertained. Mr Rinaldi (Waiau) raised the question as to whether the Government should not commandeer the shearing sheds. Some of the sheds, he said, had more accommodation than the owners required at present, but every farmer wanted to get his own shearing done first. The speaker also supported the idea of farmers doing their work on the co-operative system, with the assistance of such essential labour for particular work, which the Efficiency Board should find. I

The Commissioner thought that if the committees got to work with a view to self-heli) it would not be necessary to ask the Government to commandeer anything. But the Government was out after the best and most efficient method of economy and efficiency, and if a shed stood in the way because the owner would not voluntarily offer it, the Government would not hesitate to take it. AMURI'S EXAMPLE.

Mr Duncan Rutherford said that in his opinion the best solution of the question of running businesses and farms of absentee soldiers would be to get the counties to take charge and supervise the working of the absent soldiers' farms within their boundaries. This work could never be done satisfactorily with the cumbersome machinery which the Government would have to arrange to do it, and the cost of winch would probably lake the whole profits of the farm. Under county management by a board of trustees who would know the climatic conditions of their own county better than outsiders, no doubt better results from the farms would be obtained. The Aniuri County with the aid of the local Red Cross Association, intended to watch the interests of all the .soldiers from the district and their dependents. It would be of great advantage to the counties if a national register of all males between the age of 10 and 05 were taken. This was work which could be done very cheaply by using the County Council machinery, lie was confident that the labour, if it were properly handled, would in most cases be suflicient for the needs of the county. Up to the present there had been no system of manipulation of labour in farming districts. As an example, he quoted the case of a farmer, who, knowing of the shortage of labour, only cropped about 20 acres of oats for home consumption, which he reaped and stooked himself. Three neighbours helped him to stack, with the result that lie had to return the compliment, and work for a month helping them with their 400 acres of crop. Another instance was that of a farmer with a useful team of boys. He cut and stooked his crop, and while it remained in stook, the boys did nothing, while a neighbour, whose sons were fighting, was grafting away with the aid of bis wife and daughters to get his harvest in am! would have been thankful for their help, but had no means of obtaining it. With the organisation of labour this sort of thing would not happen. The exemption of shearers and slaughtermen appeared very absurd when the musterers and shepherds had to go, as they were most essential for keeping both the former classes employed. A lad of 17 to 20, and men over military age, could not stand mustering for months on tiie high country. The result now was that large numbers of sheep on the high counti'y would not be shorn this season. About 2") per cent, of the sheep were still on the ranges, and if there was rough weather this winter most of them probably would be lost. With regard to the shearing sheds, he did not think there would be any difficulty if tiie local boards of trustees approached the owners in a proper manner. With the consent of his fellow-trustees, he proposed sending teams of contract shearers around to settlers, especially those who were being called up for service in his district.

In reply lo Mr Froslick, Mr Rutherford gave an assurance that the Amuri trustees would run the soldiers' farms in their districts. He added that every man on his own station was engaged on the understanding thai he was to go wherever he was told. Mi' M. J. Dixon (Eyreton) said he entirely differed with Mr Rutherford's scheme so far as agricultural districts weir concerned. lie dwell at some length on the position of wheal farmers, and urged that the skill and energy of ihe fanner himself were cheaper for the country. Teamsters who could be depended upon thoroughly were very scarce and were being called up every day. Mr Froslick pointed out thai Mr Rutherford had spoken of what was most suitable for his own district. EQUALITY OF SACRIFICE.

In reply to a remark from another member of Ihe gathering, Mr Froslick pointed out that if soldiers were taken only from non-essential industries there would not be equality of sacrifice.

Mr J. Storry (Southbridge) spoke at some length with regard to the agriculturist and emphasised that personal application of the owner of land was much more effective than the work of hired labourers. He also referred to the decrease in the grain-growing area, and to the shortage of labour. The chairman remarked that this season's production of wheat was 1,700,000 odd bushels below that of last year, and that of oais 2,053,000 bushels below last year's. The commissioner said that Mr Storry had approached the question from the point of what was going to happen if something else happened. He had told of a good man who with the assistance of a bov produced 1200 sacks of wheat. Thai showed what a good man could do with the assistance of a boy. The next poinl that occurred to the speaker was: Suppose it were left to that man to put his hand on the shoulder of another man who could not do so well, and to say to him, "You go in my place." There was no reason from the national and efficiency point of view, why he should not say thai. There was another point: Was il possible to get two men over military age, or two men who wore of military age but rejected bv the military doctors, to get 1200 sacks of wheal off that farm. What if that man died? The farm would still be carried on. A voice: it might produce less.

Mr Frostick: You don't know. There's always just as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it. (Hear! hear!) Other speakers referred lo the difficulties of carrying on farming with insufficient or inexperienced laI bonr. FOOD OR MEN? Mr D. Jones said that there was a very big shortage indeed of farm labour, but there were one or two points that should be cleared up. They had been told all along that it was necessary to grow more food lo supply our men. He gathered from Mr Frostick's remarks in Ashburton, however, that food was now a secondary consideration as compared wiih men. Mr Frostick: What I said was that men are worth their weight in gold. . Continuing, Mr Jones said that some months ago he had moved a motion asking the Government to ascertain from the Imperial authorities which was the more essential, men or food. He did no! want it to go out thai the farmers shirked their duty, but it had been emphasised that production was so essential that farmers thought their duty was to produce more food. If the Government said that men were more essential than food, then the farmers were quite prepared to rearrange their farming to meet the position. Rut it seems that things had been muddled along and they could get no authoritative statement as to what was necessary. They had reached a point at which production was going to greatly decrease. If the dropping of production was not going to affect the winning of the war the farmers would rearrange their farming a good deal more lightheartedh than they would otherwise. But they would like an authoritative statement. As for the shearing sheds, thai matter need not worry the Efficiency Board. They would he able to get along witii co-opera-tive effort. The idea of management of farms in agricultural districts could not be carried out efficiently. Not a supervisor was wanted for an agricultural farm, but a man who would go on to the farm and do the whole of his own sheep work and six-horse team work. Mr Jones commended the proposal thai district committees should get together, investigate, and report upon, the requirements for their districts. He also remarked that a great deal had been made of the fact that there were many retired farmers who could go back and supervise farms, but he wanted to point out that in most cases these were men who had put their boys on their farms and who were now facing the position of having to go back on their farms because their sons were going. The retired man of this week might be back on the farm next week. Rut there did not exist such a great number of retired farmers. If there were any active retired farmers in the prime of life they should be given the choice of going to the front or getting out to the country again and working. Rut the number was small compared with the needs. Mr Frostick said he was not here as Hie accredited representative of the Government, except through the Efficiency Board, hut he knew that the Imperial authorities were asking Die Government for all the men it could send, and the Government' was seriously exercised in mind about sending full quotas. He wanted lo make il perfectly clear that the Government was of opinion—and so was the Efficiency Board — thai there were thousands of men who could be heller employed than they were al present. There were the men engaged in amusements for instance. (Hear! hear!) NATIONALISATION OF LABOUR.

Mr IT. B. Knight thought that in spite of the difficulties which had been pointed out the farmers were patriotic enough to set up local committees to carry out whatever was necessary. 1! was said that nationalisation of labour was necessary, but they had to consider what that really mean!. It sounded very well, but as far as farming was concerned there were difficulties in the way. What reasonable chance would they have of gelling, for instance, a waterside worker, accustomed to short hours and good pay, to do a fair clay's work in the country. He would like an expression of what was really meant by nationalisation of labour and whether il would be effective as far as Ihe country was concerned. Mr Froslick said thai the Government had nationalised, under the Mi'ilary Service Act, every man between the ages of 20 and 45. He saw no reason why men should not go into the country under orders—no hardship to the individual if he remained under orders, even if he did not shoulder a rifle. He pointed out, too, that we did not want all men to be fanners. There would be no trouble if the fanners, as such, set a good example to the men, and not only showed them what to do but also worked in the fields with them. It was not proposed to close the non-essential industries altogether, but to fake from them in a fair proportion. Mr J. O'Halloran said he would like to know what steps were being taken to replace on the farms the returned soldiers who had gone from them. Ten or 12 of his men had gone, and when they came back he

would give them positions on terms at least as good as before.

After further discussion the following resolution was carried:—

"Each road district north of the Selwyn County should appoint a committee of five members to investigate the actual necessities of each particular district from a pastoral, agricultural, and dairying point of view, for the purpose of assisting the Efficiency Board, but always with due regard to the military situation, and at the same time endeavour to secure the maintenance of the primary industries, through the assistance of the Efficiency Board." Mr C. If. Ensor was elected temporary president and secretary of the central executive until that body is appointed and elects permanent officers.