''The Efficiency Board is actively engaged in its duties,'' said the Acting Prime Minister yesterday, ''and has lately presented several valuable reports to Cabinet, all of which are under consideration by individual Ministers. In a report by the board some time ago reference was made to the purchase of soldiers' farms. A large amount of attention has been given to this matter by the Government, and it has been agreed to try the scheme, with all due precautions. For instance, in a case where a soldier cannot himself make arrangements for his farm to be run in his absence, or where it is not convenient for the Efficiency Board to appoint a trustee or trustees to run it, the proposal is that the State should purchase the farm for settlement purposes. In some cases they are small, improved farms and suitable for settlement by soldiers or anyone else. In that way the productivity of the land would be maintained, and the land would not be allowed to go back. It may be necessary in some instances to purchase stock, so that the man going in would have a farm fully equipped. The board has also prepared a report with regard to 'most essential' and 'essential' industries, and the list has been agreed to by the Government. It is a list that will be useful for the guidance of the Military Service Boards as appeals come before them. If a reservist is engaged in a 'most essential' industry the boards may be relied on to exercise every precaution not to destroy the efficiency of the farm or business. If provision cannot be made to run the farm or business the board would probably allow the appeal. The Efficiency Board has nearly competed its list of trustees in the different districts all over the country. A considerable number of recommendations came before Cabinet at its last meeting, and were agreed to. The scheme is one that is very wide-spreading in its operations.''
Parcels for prisoners
In a communication to the Acting Prime Minister the High Commissioner states:
''Acknowledgments and other communications have been coming to hand regularly from our prisoners in Germany. The parcels which I have sent to our prisoners of war in Turkey are apparently beginning to reach them at last, Private Monk having acknowledged no fewer than seven on the postcard received from him. Nearly all the Christmas parcels sent to Germany by our Prisoners' Department have now been acknowledged. The new regulations of the Central Prisoners of War Committee provide that food parcels must now be sent to civilian prisoners of war individually, so the supplies formerly sent have been stopped, and each civilian now receives a weekly parcel direct from us and also bread from Switzerland. Our civilian prisoners publish a most interesting magazine at Ruhleben, copies of which have found their way to London.''
Starlings an asset
A farmer in the Ashburton County, speaking of the ravages of the grass grub, states that if farmers in Canterbury would take the trouble to conserve the starlings, they would have less trouble with the grub. He pointed out that while in the North Island the starlings had increased, they had practically only held their own during the last decade in Canterbury.
He considered that all the settlers should construct boxes on poles about their premises, where the birds could nest and hatch their young in safety. Owing to the places selected by starlings to build, the young birds easily became the prey of stoats, weasels, and cats.
- ODT, 4.5.1917.
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