ALL MUST WORK

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 13, 16 January 1942, Page 6

ALL MUST WORK

EDUCATING MAORIS

DAIRY COMPANIES' NEED

WHAXGAREI. this day. "The native race can be easily and quickly educated the right or wrong way and natives have been educated to consider that receiving sustenance is just as honourable as working for wages." said the chairman. Mr. J. A. S. MacKay. at a meeting of the Whangarei County Council to-day.

The statement arose from a discussion concerning inquiries made from dairy companies regarding the acute labour shortage due to the mobilisation of men in the X.M.R. Circulars had been sent out subsequent to the last meeting of the council and replies from two companies had been received.

The question was one which should be dealt with by the Government in conjunction with the Dairy Board, said a letter from the Mauneatapere Company. The Maungaturoto Company reported that the district had been divided into five zones and a record of the labour available in each zone had been obtained, so that labour could be used collectively to assist harvesting and other operations.

Members of the Home Guard at Maungaturoto had banded together and had undertaken to harvest any crop on properties of men mobilised in the X.M.R. This practice could be adapted to other districts.

Mr. MacKay said that a scheme was now mooted for the formation of a special committee of countv council delegates to confer on the matter. It was suggested that steps be taken to direct Government attention to the fact that many ablebodied natives as well as Europeans were in receipt of sustenance, and if this practice was stopped it would greatly assist in relieving labour problems. Delegates were appointed to confer with the Otamatea and Hobson counties.