32. Captain BATHURSTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if out of 27,000 selected soldiers placed at the disposal of the farming community for harvesting operations application has been made by farmers for 3,000 only; whether he is aware that in some counties, where the county war agricultural committee is inactive, many farmers 2249 are still unaware of the availability find the method of obtaining soldier labour, and that in others the cumbrous machinery for obtaining such labour acts as a deterrent; whether arrangements can be made whereby farmers can at short notice obtain the help of soldiers, and especially of their own former employés, during the corn harvest now in progress by applying direct to commanding officers without the intervention of the Board, the county war agricultural committees, or the Labour Exchanges; and whether public notification on the subject can be made during the current week in the public Press?
§ Mr. ACLANDUnder the new arrangement which was advertised in the Press on the. 5th inst., applications were received by mid-day on the 9th inst. for 3,244 soldiers required to start work in the corn harvest for the period 14th to 26th inst. The number of men applied for for general purposes under the previous arrangement which still continues is largely in excess of that number and is increasing from day to day. It is possible that some farmers are still unaware that soldier labour is available, but as 33,089 soldiers were applied for through the Labour Exchanges during the period 3rd June to 28th July, which included many personal applications which could not possibly be granted, and 14,227 were supplied by the military authorities (a number which must have very considerably increased since then), it seems to me that the machinery has not been found to be too cumbrous, and that it has been working fairly well. The terms on which soldiers can be released were agreed with the War Office after careful consideration of all the circumstances and it is not proposed to vary them, and while a farmer may apply for his son or one of his former men by name, there is no certainty that the man can therefore be allowed away, and it is much wiser to make a general application. Frequent notifications on the subject have been made through the Press and this will continue as occasion may require. The general position is that if farmers are still short of labour they should apply by the means which are in general quite well known to them. To scrap the machinery now, as the hon. and gallant Member suggests, would produce chaos.
§ Mr. W. THORNECan the right hon. Gentleman say whether there is a scale of wages fixed for these particular soldiers working in the harvest field, or are they paid ordinary soldier's pay?
§ Mr. ACLANDThey are paid a rate equal to and in the opinion of the farmers exceeding that usually paid for similar labour in harvest time.
§ Mr. ACLANDAs they get paid a very great deal higher than the ordinary rates, they are very anxious to do it, and particularly when they get transferred to their own homes for the purpose, and we do not get any refusals.
§ Mr. ACLANDI will make inquiries, but I do not think such a case could possibly occur.