830 



Speech by the Minister of Agriculture. 



[Dec, 



dt the present time owing to rumours of discharges on a large 

 scale due to a reduction of the arable area. I am not willing 

 to believe that there is very much in that, although in some 

 cases there may be. There are some farmers who are affected by 

 panic, and who think, on account of the higher wages, their only 

 safety is to put more bf their land down to grass. If there is 

 any deliberate movement of that kind, there could be nothing 

 more dangerous or fatal to the agricultural industry. It would 

 create an army of landless men, men who understand work on 

 the land, and who would make an irresistible demand, with 

 justice behind them, to have that land broken up and given to 

 them to deal with as small holders. If farmers were led into 

 that mistake they would be simply cutting their own throats 

 and destroying their own position. I trust the new County 

 Agricultural Committees will exercise a very firm hand in 

 regard to this matter. Meanwhile I implore both masters 

 and men to take every opportunity of getting together and 

 discussing and understanding each other's difficulties. If only 

 the two sides would meet more often there would, I am con- 

 vinced, be a better understanding. The great danger to-day is 

 that there is so much mutual distrust and misunderstanding 

 that rash steps are taken which are very often irrevocable. After 

 all, all sections of the agricultural community must work and 

 stick together, because no one can settle their differences except? 

 themselves. The Government cannot do it; certainly the 

 Ministry of Agriculture cannot do it. What we want to avoid 

 at all costs is any repetition of the Holderness tragedy. If from 

 exasperation and lack of understanding the labourers say just 

 at harvest time to the farmer: " Now we have you by the 

 throat and we are going to have our terms," the farmer 

 naturally retaliates and says: " This may be harvest time but 

 winter follows harvest." There would be retaliatory discharges 

 and every sort of bitter feeling. All that would be unnecessary 

 if masters and men would get closer together. Do not look to 

 the G-overnment; do not look to any outside tribunal in these 

 matters; get together and thresh out your difficulties. You 

 must always remember that neither side can prosper unless the 

 other is reasonably prosperous also. 



Pull Together/^ — My final word to you is to re-echo what 

 the Prince of Wales said on his return from his tour the other 

 day: " Pull together." 



