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NATIONAL EFFICIENCY BOARD, WELLINGTON MILITARY DISTRICT. Memorandum, for Trustee Hoards. Wellington, 2nd June, 1917. It is desirable that no time should be lost in ascertaining what labour will be required in your district in connection with the conduct of agricultural and pastoral work during the ensuing twelve months, more especially shearing, ploughing, and harvesting. It is therefore requested that you will hold a meeting of your Board of Trustees and make full inquiries throughout your district with a view to ascertaining what labour is now available in the various branches, what reduction of labour is likely to take place by the operation of the Military Service Act, and as to how far by co-operation or other means the labour can be organized and the requirements met. A circular letter was sent out by this Board to all the secondary schools in the Dominion, and a very large proportion of the Boards of Governors have consented to decrease the duration of the spring holidays and to correspondingly increase the length of the summer holidays, so that there will be a certain amount of boy-labour available for assistance in the shearing-sheds and other operations during the summer holidays. It will be necessary for this labour to be organized in each district to the extent that, the fanners and station-holders who desire such assistance will have to make clear what accommodation they are prepared to provide and what number of boys the}' desire. It is probable that in many eases the town boys will prefer to go to their country friends, and the country boys will naturally be at their homes. All this information requires to be worked up in. anticipation. In those cases where they are prepared to take in strangers it will be necessary to satisfy the schoolmasters and the parents of the boys that they will be properly looked after. The rates of wages will presumably be those usually paid in the district. The suggestion is therefore made that not only should you get the information for your own district, but that you should get into touch with the Trustee Boards in adjacent districts, so that the whole country may be organized on a uniform scheme and systematic plan. It probably may be found to be desirable when the information is obtained, say, in about, a month's time, that the Commissioner should arrange for delegates from the various Trustee Boards to meet together at some central point or points to exchange ideas and to arrange for organization on similar lines throughout the districts. A further matter for your consideration is to ascertain as to how far an increase of stock may be carried in certain portions of the district, and as to how far there is a probability of other portions being overstocked. Also, it is desirable that inquiries should be made so that some conclusion can be arrived at as to what feed is available for carrying the stock through the winter, so that in case there should be a shortage in any place some co-operative and systematic arrangement can be made by which stock, from certain districts could be depastured in other districts where an excess of feed exists. Tiros. Moss, Commissioner. NATIONAL EFFICIENCY BOARD, CANTERBURY MILITARY DISTRICT. Memorandum to Committees of Advice, Executive or Group Committees, and General Council. Agricultural and Pastoral, Section. 20th June 1917 The Canterbury Military District extends from the month of the Waitaki River along its northern banks; thence following the southern boundary of the -Mackenzie County to the eastern boundary of Westland; thence south to take in Wcstland to Broad Bay on the west coast; from this line to Cook Strait. It also includes the Chatham Islands. For the purposes of the National Efficiency Board the territory is divided, firstly, into districts, and, secondly, into groups of districts. Group. I. Collingwood, Takaka, Waimea. 11. Marlborough (County), Sounds, Awatere, Kaikoura. 111. Cheviot, Amuri, Waipara. IV. Buller, Inangahua, Murchison. V. Grey, Westland. VI. Tawera, Eyre, Malvern, Kowai-Sefton, Oxford, Ashley, Rangiora. VII. Waimairi, Heathcote, Paparua, Halswell, Springs, Ellesmere, Wairewa, Mount Herbert, Akaroa, also Chatham Islands. VIII. Ashburton County, divided into districts : Upper Ashburton, Rakaia, Mount Hutt, Wakanui, Anama, Mount Somers, Rangitata, Coldstream, Longbeach. VIIIa. Selwyn. IX. Geraldine, ' Temuka, Clandeboye, Levels, Pareora-Otaio, Waimate, Mackenzie, Hakateramea. The National Efficiency Board's scheme for the working of the agricultural, pastoral, and dairying industries in the Canterbury Military District provides for— (a) District Committees of Advice; (b) Executive or Group Committees; (c) General Council for Military District. District Committees of Advice. The ratepayers in each district to elect a committee of five, representing every class of primary production carried on in the district. (Note. —Where necessary to obtain full representation, the number of the committee may be increased to seven members.) The Committee of Advice elects its own chairman. In scattered or outlying districts a District. Committee may at its own discretion appoint a sub-committee, but such sub-committee shall not be entitled to special representation on any Executive or Group Committee. Representation on Executive or Group Committee. —Each District Committee shall be entitled to two representatives on the Executive or Group Committee to which it belongs, the representatives being the Chairman and one other member elected by the committee.