FOR FARM WORK
| PRISONERS OF WAR i m'GOKSTION AT PRIMARY ' COUNCIL DEBATE F” Auckland, Jan. 20. That New Zealand should solve the Lbiem of the serious shortage of farm labour by the use of prisoners If war was the suggestion put for|ar(i at to-day’s meeting of the luckland Primary Production Coun|i! by the chairman, Mr R. C. Clark. jl u . r e was some discussion and divi«ion of opinion before a modified Isolation to that effect was carried. I jfr Clark pointed out that the use h Italian prisoners on Dominion [amis would be of great assistance (o the war effort and would render I valuable service to the .Empire. I In reply to an interjection that ft would be unwise to introduce such 1 scheme, he said that we might be jrfven to do a great many things we lid not want to do ordinarily. I "We must be careful,” said Mr S. [. Crookes. f "My suggestion is only a recommendation to the National Council of Primary Production,” said Mr Clark. II is then for them to approach the Government and for the Government jo make a decision. By the time hat the matter reached finality any possible thorns in the proposal would e swept away.”
Postponement Asked [ Mr G. Mackie: I would prefer that [Ms matter be left over until next meeting. At the present moment I po not feel inclined to vote on the. Juestion. I am against importing foreigners into the country. | “This is a regular procedure. There [s nothing so very startling about it,” laid Mr Clark. “It is, however, the first time that New Zealand has had [lie opportunity of utilising such labour.”
| A Member: Would you stop- at [farm labour? IMr Clark; Not necessarily, but pmi labour is all that concerns us. porvever, all we ask is that the National Council of Primary Production should look into it. It cannot 1° an >’ harm. This is no rash action I s h>r as we are concerned. I Colonel N. Adams said that disfussions about shortage of farm 'labour took up half the time of the fQUncil, but the suggestion that the labour of war prisoners should be f sed ' v °tild mean that there would r' e to he some discussion with the Mps unions. However, if was true |nat Hitler was using war prisoners’ .labour to help him out in Europe, j Our own English soldiers are be£'!u ed , extensiv ely in Germany,” !a 'd the chairman. , Mh en reference was mad© to the R . * 6l men hi the Dominion who l !, 1 011 w hat were tantamount |u ® , sch emes it was stated that L.. 1. |' as a Percentage of those who L r d , be te , nned as “unemployables” for ley not be used ,or ceitam classes of work. miei'iHn ‘ , Mel,s °P moved as an )oned f ient that the matter be post- !° 6(1 f °r a month.
Serve Three Purposes henLL!' Cr ? okes: The farmers abniu .. Would have something to jp'posit; lk There would be strong from their wives. ler sm^t C ° Uid Work in S( l ua(is un:iark said Mr ■rs of wo. 6 en }P lo yment of prisonIb!e p urn no WoUld serve three valuJia of thn S ‘ U . Would re lieve Brit•hese rHcn llecess ity of maintaining :ain Pam “ e Ai With ° Ut . work in certhe nn !- le Empir e; it would many Prisonp Stlon , of Control of the lured, and G \ S ? ko bad 156611I 56611 capft*°uld ass’icf 1 tke same timehere.” Primary production
| l to effeeftw euded resolution F e nded that recomPr iniary p rft H, he r^ ational Council of advisabim ICtl * n s b° ul( i consider the Government ( t 0 w °rk i n t ? ® nt P r ! son ers of war ltle shortatrp Eonii nion to alleviate \ Tl »e motlL f farm labour, " as Carr icd with some approval. o^Yq‘ u s not a unanimous 1 °! lble by such t Ve ° nly askin ? tor L A Voice- tvT a , m °tion. j e ' n S accepted 6l6B no cha nce of it AH Tepjy * J® an said that a if QU . eStion ’ the chair- {. r ec omm Was no t necessary Thl SCheaa e t OU M d f taUs as t 0 bow if * as a matfpvf be cari 'ied out. he acinL 1 ] 1 ® authorities accepted m principle.
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Bibliographic details
Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 13244, 21 January 1941, Page 5
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731FOR FARM WORK Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 13244, 21 January 1941, Page 5
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