§ Colonel Carverasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can assure the House that the numbers of volunteer workers for the coming corn harvest are believed to be adequate and whether it is still possible for farmers to obtain help from soldiers on application to the local military authority?
Mr. HudsonOn the whole, the arrangements made for voluntary labour for the corn harvest are satisfactory and should be adequate. There may, however, be some local shortages, and difficulties will be more serious and more widespread if weather conditions should be unfavourable. If so, exceptional measures will have to be taken to overcome them, and 353W ensure that the crops are saved. In many areas the help of soldiers will again be obtainable, subject to service requirements; but for military reasons application will have to be made by farmers to war agricultural executive committees and not direct to the commanding officers of units.