HARVEST LABOUR.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 34, 19 November 1943, Page 2

HARVEST LABOUR.

MEETING SEASONAL DEMAND RELEASE BY TOWN FIRMS URGED The position regarding harvest labour this year is most uncertain and it has become necessary to explore every avenue of prospective assistance. The Army will be giving valuable help, as it did last year, but necessarily to a lesser extent. It will be appreciated that seasonal work in the farming industry falls in the summer months. Not only is it necessary to find labour for the harvest field, but manpower for freezing works, threshing mills, header harvesters, transport and grain stores also have to be provided. It is thus probable that good use must be made of every available able-bodied man.

A number of businesses in the town are largely dependent upon the farming industry and the success or failure of the harvest affects practically every one in the community in some way. The national commitments in regard to the production of foodstuffs are tremendous and it is imperative that our programme be maintained without a hitch. To this end the manpower authorities are inviting the co-operation of townspeople, many of whom should be available at some period during the harvest season for some form of assistance. Employers of labour have accordingly been circularised with the suggestion that as many men as possible be released for successive short periods say from the middle of January.

There is a large number of men of military age, who for one reason or another are not in the Armed Forces. If they are reasonably fit these are the first who should offer their services. The difficulties of the home front do not compare with the dangers and disof the battle front. Even if a person is not sufficiently fit to stand up to heavy work in the harvest field there will be no difficulty in fitting him in somewhere else. The effort made by the individual in that matter is a small contribution to the price of victory even if it means giving up a week of annual holiday to assist this urgent home front effort. Those people who are not reached through the circulars issued by the National Service Office and who will be available for seasonal work of any kind are re quested to hand in their names to the local office.