§ Mr. FREDERICK WHYTEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that in many rural districts the success of recruiting means that indispensable farm servants are being attracted to the Army to the detriment of agriculture, and that, in consequence, the farming community cannot respond to his appeal to increase the area of land under cultivation; and whether he can take steps to prevent this misapplication of service?
§ Mr. ACLANDI am afraid that this has been largely the case, and the Board are now in consultation with the War Office authorities on the whole subject. Agriculture is, I fear, not the only industry as to which successful recruiting is bound to mean the withdrawal from the industry of those who can ill be spared.