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Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXI, Issue 8444, 11 August 1911, Page 7

"The labour difficulty is killing this country," said the owner of a sheep run to a "Taranaki' News" representative recently. "I know of a:ny amount of sheep-farmers who, are only half working their places because of the inability to get good men at reasonable wages. Take my own case. I could very easily put on twelve men from now to the burning season, buti 'once bitten, twice shy.' Last year I had a good patch of country felled ready for the burn, clearing, and grassing. I knew some chaps who had-just finished a road contract. I saw them and told them I could gfve them work for a few months. They replied that they knew I must have labour, and their terms were 2s an hour and found! But I was not having any, and, after a lot of bother, got a couple of men whom I paid Is 6d an hour without keep, and, between the three of us, working long hours, we got through the job. But I don't want to repeat the experience. The trouble is the working men of this country are too well off, and don't know what is a fair thing. There must come a time when they will alter their tune and be amendable to reason."