100 years ago — from our archives
IN an interview with a member of our staff on Saturday, Sir James Allen urged strongly that there should be no curtailment of the reinforcements leaving New Zealand, and dwelt on the necessity for every person in the land doing his or her share in the ‘‘great push’’ which must be made by those who are compelled to stay at home if the essential industries of the dominion are to be maintained. The Minister said:— ‘‘I notice there is a feeling in the country that it would be better for us to cut down the reinforcements, because some people say we cannot keep up our production. I desire to remove this impression from the public mind and state most emphatically that it would be a disastrous policy to reduce the reinforcements, because that would mean wastage of the division. At all hazards, we must keep up our reinforcements because that means the division retaining its fighting strength. At times it may be somewhat below fighting strength, but on the whole it will maintain its strength. This policy we are pledged to the Home Land, and to the troops forming the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
‘‘As regards production, there can be no doubt about it that the sending of 70,000 or 80,000 men out of the country makes it more difficult to keep up our products, but this problem, I am perfectly certain, we can face if every individual will set himself the task to help to do it. I will give one instance. As I came down on Friday in the train I saw a farmer driving his plough. In one hand he had the reins and in the other he was nursing his baby. This is typical of what I think every man ought to do, and every woman too, at a time like this. Take on a little more work. Work longer hours. We have worked longer hours before and we can do it again without detriment to health. In fact, my experience is that if you want to keep well you should work hard at a time like this . . .
A public meeting, held on Saturday night last in the School Hall, Anderson Bay, for the purpose of considering the best means of bringing about improvements in the district, was attended by about 40 residents. Mr T. Somerville, who presided, explained that the meeting was called at the present time so that a society or league might be formed before the municipal elections took place and before the Easter holidays, which would take residents out of town. The present was not the time for spending large sums on public works, but the health of the locality had to be attended to, and there were small improvements which had been suggested, and which ought to be carried out. — ODT, 2.4.1917.