§ Mr. CAUTLEYasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that the limited amount of agricultural labour left in the country is insufficient for the purpose of carrying on the necessary agricultural operations; that, in fixing this limited amount and in deciding what young agricultural employés could be released for the Army, local and Appeal Tribunals have proceeded on a calculation of the number of men employed on each farm, and on the supposition that those left would continue in their agricultural employment as before; that, in spite of the foregoing, rich and other employers residing in country districts and not engaged in agriculture, who have had their private servants called to the Colours, are now, by the offer of large wages and easy jobs, inducing this limited number of agricultural employés, already insufficient, to leave their agricultural employment and enter private service as gardeners or cowmen, to milk one or two cows for a private house, or to look after a pony or a few poultry; and whether he will take steps, either by limiting the number of private outdoor servants or otherwise, to prevent this increasing diminution of the remnant of agricultural labour, and so make it possible for the farmers of the country to work and sow their land and produce meat and milk?
§ Mr. ACLANDSo far as the evidence in the possession of the Board is concerned, I think it would be truer to say that landowners and others have done their very utmost to release those whom they employ for work on the land. There are, however, still undoubtedly cases in which persons retain unnecessary servants who are not doing all they might to increase food production. This is obviously unpatriotic. Cases should be reported to 41W the Board or to County War Agricultural Committees, and I hope that the public attention now drawn to the subject will convince people of the need for concentrating labour on employment of national importance.