FARMERS’ APPEALS FOR WORKERS

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23364, 25 June 1941, Page 7

FARMERS’ APPEALS FOR WORKERS

WARNING BY* CHAIRMAN OP ARMED FORCES BOARD “Unless farmers make some effort to help themselves this board is certainly not going to help them,” said Mr F. F. Reid, S.M./ chairman of the Armed Forces Appeal Board, which sat at Ashburton yesterday. The board had become impatient at the attitude of many farmers, who apparently made no effort to obtain labour to replace men called up until they received the board s circular warning them of their obligation to prove that they had made every endeavour to obtain workers, without SUCC6SS. Many farmers seemed to make only a more or less formal effort to obtain help and did not explore every avenue of the labour market. It was very disappointing to find that the only applications to obtain labour had been made by fanners just a few days before the board sat. ....... , Another aspect in which the board wished for greater co-operation from farmers was in realising that the men available could scarcely be expected adequately to replace a son or permanent employee who had become accustomed to the working of a property. All must be prepared to try men who might be, say, 75 per cent, as efficient. The board was definitely of the view that labour was available.