LABOUR ON FARMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 235, 3 October 1936, Page 11

LABOUR ON FARMS.

QUESTIONAIRE PROPOSED. NEED OF MORE INFORMATION". (By Telegraph—Own Correspondent.) HAWERA, Friday. Questions covering all phases of the rural labour shortage will be addressed to the farmers of South Taranaki, as a result of a decision of the Farmers' Union executive yesterday. With the information . obtained the executive expects to be in a position to determine what action is necessary. The establishment of a Taranaki farm labour bureau, to which farmers could address .requests for men, was advocated by Mr. J. S. Toslund. Mr. .E. K. Cameron, secretary, said that much the same request had been made to the Department before. The Labour Department officers had acted as bureaux and the postmasters were working under the placement scheme. "We do not know definitely what the shortage of labour is," said Mr. H. A. Finlay, in suggesting a general questionnaire. He said he knew a man giving a youth of 18 £3 a week and keep because he was afraid of losing him. This was more than the farmer himself was receiving, and it made other farm -workers dissatisfied. He knew of one case where a whole family waft receiving only £13 a month off the farm. The chairman, Mr. W. A. Sheat, said something must be done to stop the attraction of men from the farms. While farm work was being made more attractive other jobs were still more attractive!.