NO SHORTAGE?

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 43, 20 February 1940, Page 6

NO SHORTAGE?

The "shortage of farm labour* has had copious publicity from time to time, and serious consequences to the Dominion's production have been predicted if the farmer could not get men to help him. Recently, moreover, there has been discussion of the probability of the shortage becoming worse because of enlistments of farmers' eons and employees in the military forces. In these circumstances it might have been expected that when an effort was made to ascertain, in advance, the farmer's needs, so that they could be met, there would be willing co-operation from the country. Yet, though 5800 copies of a questionnaire were sent out by the Auckland branch of the Primary Production Council, only 100 replies were received. Whatever the real reason for this weak response, it cannot but create a bad impression. It will seem that the farmer expects men to be freely offering when he wants them, that he complains loudly if they are not available, but that he will not help to ensure in advance that they will be available. If this is his attitude — and it is a conclusion likely to be drawn from the failure of the questionnaire—-the farmer should not protest against the superior attractions of Public Works employment. Relatively high wages and the 40-hour week on public works are inducements, but they are probably less strong than the inducement of continuity of employment. How can continuity of employment on farms be achieved, or even planned, without the farmers' co-operationi T