HARVEST LABOUR;

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23260, 23 July 1945, Page 6

HARVEST LABOUR;

Fears Of Farmers 1 iispelled I se Of Prisoners Of War I3y Telegraph —N Z Press Assn -Cop'.rign■ . LONDON. July 20. British farmers recently have been doubtful whether their labour needs for the coming harvest would be met. but action now taken by the Ministry of Agriculture has dispelled those tears. It has been arranged in the first place that 30.000 additional prisoners of war. for whom accommodation is now being prepared. will be available. At present 120.000 prisoners of war are on farm work, against 60.000 last year. The present decision will bring the total to 150.000. of whom nearly 100.000 are Germans. Tn addition, members of the forces on home service will be freed to assist country war agricultural committees and individual farmers in the locality of their camps. Former agricultural workers at home or in the British forces in Europe will be given 28 days’ agricultural leave on the application of their previous employers. An official of the Ministry of Agriculture said to-day: '■Should a crisis arise during the harvest, there are still resources which could be tapped to supply men." Steps being taken to build up the depleted labour forces of some British industries which have to meet the primary needs of civilian life are announced by the Ministry of Labour and National Service. Present Priorities The highest present priorities for national needs according to the Ministry, are munitions and housing, then textiles and clothing - , including boots and shoes. It is pointed out that the labour supply for these needs in the next few months will be too limited to meet more than part of the demands, except for munitions. The Ministry states that it is necessary that former operatives in those industries who have gone into other occupations should go back to their old employment, and that there should also be considerable recruiting of men entrants. This is already taking place when a change in munitions production has released a number of war workers, and the Ministry therefore has appealed for skilled workers who can be released on "redundance" to return to their former employment. The Ministry of Health to-dav made two orders to speed up housing accommodation in the United Kingdom. The first gives local authorities power to requisition an empty house for immediate use and the second extends the amount of money which private owners and tenants may spend in putting their houses in repair. During the war this sum was not