ASSISTING FARMER SOLDIERS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15133, 30 January 1917, Page 5

ASSISTING FARMER SOLDIERS.

COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME DEMANDED. ORGANISING MAN POWER OP DOMINION. GOVERNMENT URGED, TO ACT. The question of financing soldiers on . the land and assisting owners of land who had been drawn m the ballot was introduced at the Patriotic Association’s meeting 5 esterday- by Mr Hoiks Gibbons, who urged that a committee should be formed to look after the interests of men w.ho had to leave their farms. The committee’s duty would be to find managers, who themselves were unfit for military service, to look after the farais and also assist in finance where necessary. The question, he said, would become more acute'as time went on. The Wairarapa Patriotic ■ Association had formulated a scheme, and a copy would be sent to Wanganui as soon as it was available. Auckland province was doing the same, thing. A meeting was recently held at Hamilton attended by members of the Patriotic Association . and by local bodies, at which sub-committees were appointed in, the various districts to look after the interests of the man who went to fight. And, said Mr Gibbons, something should be done here in the same way- He moved that the matter be referred to the lands Committee, with power to act. Part of the duty of the committee would be to get a list of persons ineligible for military service who would be willing to look after farms temporarily. The Mayor seconded the motion, ami suggested that steps should he taken, by the Government to organise the man power of the Dominion. Tho greatest service New Zealand could do in the present crisis was to keep its productivity at the highest pitch, and to that end it was essential that the man power of (he Dominion should be thoroughly organised, so that there should be as little disorganisation as possible when men were called from the farms or from other occupations for military service. Mr .allan Robinson thought greater discretion should be used by the authorities, so that men who alone could work the farms should not be sent away. He referred to one farmer he knew who had been.rejected for military service abroad and yet had been retained for service in camp. Such things ought not to be. That man would do better service for the country on his farm. It was not right that men capable of managing farms should be sent to perform 1 menial work in the camps. No map, 1 would attend to a farm so well as thjl 1 person who was vitally interested in it.| Mjajor Harper suggested that thfc 1 same arguments, could be applied tq ■ other businesses, and he reminded the i Committee that if the men called tip 1 were not sent for military service, they I would have to rely on the Second Class, r They all recognised that the farming community was of immense value to the 3 country, and it was quite possible t& I assist the farmer by getting someofih else not eligible Tor military service look after'the farm. £ Mr W. A. Collins said that Majdjf

Harper had hit the nail on the hea<|:, Every man, farmer or otherwise, should he prepared to make a sacrifice. The farmer who remained on his farm made no sacrifice. The Chairman (Mr T. B. Williams) drew attention to a report from Auckland that the calling up of farmers would result in forcing land on the market for the Benefit of land sharks,' He thought it right that the Government should commandeer the man power and the wealth of the Dominion. Unfortunately, however, they could not) take the initiative. He hoped the Lands ■ Committee would devise a scheme to solve the problem. Mr Cohen asked whether there had been any promise made by the Government that all .men who were fit physically should be military servants. Such a scheme should be in operation. Those fit for military service should be sent, and others not fit could still be called up for service on the farms, or for other work. When they realised that in Eng- 1 land all the man-power between the ages o| 18 and 60 was being organised, . it showed the real necessity for everybody doing something in the service of the country. There was nothing to hope ' from the Military Service Boards: they would not exempt anybody who was fit and strong. It was thV duty of the State to organise 1 the .total available man-power to the point where it could do the best for the. Empire, and he hoped the committee would work to that end. Then the Government would ■; have every man not physically-fit for active service available for farm or other work. ■ ’ ,

Mr J. H. Burnett protested that soma classea-of workers—miners, especially and watersiders—were being carefully nursed , by the Government. The miners were,’ restricting the, outpiit of coal in NewZealand, and they should do as. was be' ing done in the Old Land., There the mines, and the men had been commandeered, and the men. were compelled to work. So with the watersiders; they should he compelled to work, and not loaf about, , ■ ; ~ Mr Gibbons pointed out that the subject of ‘utilising the man-power of the -Dominion wa a under the Government’s consideration, and the Advisory Board' were thoroughly satisfied with the efforts .which the Government were ’going to put forth. The Government were doing more than some. people were .inclined td. giye them credit, for. . Mr Gibbons quoted several-instances that had come und-er his own observation where farmery were - co-operating to manage farms in the absence of men, called up in the ballot. He believed the Association could do agreat deal more in this respect -than il) was doing. -- ■ . v ’ Mr Cohen—There are many cases where a man can manage a farm five times as large as the one he is controlling. ... ) Mr Collins—Many men are living in town,, playing bowls, who are managing their farms. t Mr Robinson expressed the opinion that experienced men were required for mixed farming. He thought the Government should work all farms and all businesses, and appropriate .the extra profits made during the war period. The motion was put and carried. f