On This Day, 13 July 1918

Evening Despatch

Saturday 13 July 1918

LAND LABOUR SHORTAGE.

VOLUNTEERS MUST ENROL BEFORE RECEIVING ARMY CALL-UP.

Reports received by the Food Production Department from different parts of the country differ greatly as to the farm labour position, although there is general agreement as to a lamentable shortage of skilled men.

The recent call-up for the Army created something like dismay in farming circles, and this feeling has only been partly allayed by the concessions of the War Office and the Ministry of National Service.

The county committees, whilst recognising the difficulties that must be created by the withdrawal of more skilled able-bodied men from the farms, undoubtedly did their best to supply the county quotas, and 70 to 80 per cent. of the men asked for had been supplied when the order was issued for a suspension of further callings up.

It is important that men qualified for enrollment as war agricultural volunteers should apply for enrollment immediately. It will be too late if they wait until they received their calling-up papers.

Last week’s recruiting figures for the women’s land army were the best since the army was formed, viz., over 1,000 recruits.