The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-04-16
SPEEDING
UP FOOD
SUPPLIES
England Engaged in Cam.
paign to Produce More
Foodstuffs to Win War.
(By AssocIated Press.l

4
i London. April 16.-In a recent in,
terview with press representatives.
Sir Arthur Lee. NJ. p. director gem
eral Of food production, put forward
some proposals intended to speed up
the food production of the country.
He was insistent in urging the neces-
sity. for economizing time in the few
weeks still remaining when blowing
| and sowing operations could be car
rted out. Not an hour, he declared,
must now be lost, and he appealed to
| the churches of all denominations to
/ encourage their congregations, for the
time being, to work on Sundays as
well as week days.
To help him in his work, Sir Arthur
Lee stated he had obtained the able
assistance of Sir Ailwyn Fellowes, a
former president Of the board of ag-
riculture; F. d. Acland, M. p,
parliamentary secretary to the board
in 1915; Edward Strut and Les
lie Scott, both agricultural experts;
Professor Keeble of the Royal Hor-
ticultural society, Miss Talbot and
Mrs. Alfred Lyttelton. 1t would have
been impossible, he declared, to in
crease the food supply in Great Brit
ain had it not been for the agricultural
policy recently announced by the
prime minister. What they had now
to do was to go ahead and use every
available means that would help them.
He laid stress on the need for ma
chinery. The difficulty, however, of i'm
porting tractors under present con-
ditions had unfortunately to some ex-
tent limited the enormous number they
had hoped to have at their command.
Nevertheless, everything possible was
being done, and Mr.. Perry, the head
Of the Ford Manufacturing compan-
les in Europe, was gratuitously Civ
ing his services in helping to collect,
organize, and maintain the supply Of
| tractors to Great Britain.
In order to make use of every hour
which remained to them during which
sowing must be done, Sir Arthur Lee
proposed that night shifts should be
organized, If possible. Where motor
plows were available 20 hours q day
could then be worked instead of eight,
which was usually reckoned an or
binary blowing day. Naturally horses
could not be worked more than the
customary time, but given machinery
and the necessary labor, no such linn
itation existed, and with an acetylene
headlight it had been proved quite
possible to plow at night. This Sir
Arthur Lee said would mean that in
six weeks a tractor could plow 42O
ious to have the help Of enthusiastic
people to aid him In this matter. Peo-
pie who could drive mechanical ma
chinery or their own motor cars could
give valuable help, and, Sir Arthur
Lee said, he would like to see a corps
Of night plowmen raised for the
emergency. 1t would, he declared, be
very substantial help to them in
dealing with the problem of increas-
ing food supply. He also emphasized
the point that at the present moment
skilled men, plowmen and others, must
lfbe left on the land. The highest au-
thority he said, had decided on far
reaching agricultural policy, which
would be rendered valueless unless
the labor necessary to put the policy
into effect was available. Sir Arthur
urged the necessity Of farmers using
every kind of labor obtainable. The
usefulness of women's work, he con-
sidered had not been hitherto appre-
ciated, but it must be used to an in
lcreasing extent, also conscientious
lobjectors and prisoners Of war could
do useful work.
Sir Arthur Lee also dealt with the
subject OF horticulture, and said every
man in the suburbs must do his ut
most to grow what vegetables he could.
In this connection, he thoght garden
Iers, schoolmasters and clergymen
could give useful help.