MANPOWER IN CANTERBURY

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23751, 24 September 1942, Page 4

MANPOWER IN CANTERBURY

DISCUSSIONS TO-DAY WITH MINISTER ATTITUDE OF FARMERS’ UNION The manpower position throughout the whole of Canterbury will be placed before the Minister of Primary Production for War Purposes (the Hon. W, J. Poison) when he visits Christchurch to-day. Mr Poison will cohie from Wellington by air and during the afternoon deputations from various industries will wait on him. In the evening the North Canterbury, Mid-Canterbury, and South Canterbury Primary Production Councils will meet the Minister to impress the difficulties of the man on the land because of the labour problem. The North Canterbury Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union yesterday afternoon agreed to have its own deputation to the Minister, and also to support the representations of the Primary Production Councils, Further support will also be given to the • union’s representations about the release of men from the armed forces for essential farm work. Mr J. W. Earl- said that Mr Poison’s recent statements about the release of men aggravated an already difficult position. It >ad been hard to get men for farm work and the Minister’s attitude would only make committees less inclined to grant farmers’ appeals. The Minister’s statement #rould mislead the public as to the true position. “If they won’t release men they will have to devise a new technique for . feeding them,” Mr Earl said. In the Waikari and Culverden districts youths under 20 were working header harvesters. Under these conditions there was no prospect of the extended 1943 crop being harvested. Harvesting Problems Mr A. M. Carpenter said it was discouraging to men who had given up much of their time in the interests of primary production, to be faced with such an official attitude. Mr L. R. C. Macfarlane mentioned that further complications were seen in the shortage of shearers. Difficulties in harvesting the linen flax crop with too few men, were emphasised by Mr J. E. H. McGrath. In spite of set-backs, co-operation should be the chief aim of the primary producers, and it was to be hoped that a satisfactory solution might be found in the talks with the Minister, said Mr R. T. McMillan. Mr H. T. Metherell said he was alarmed t. see that the Kaiapoi woollen mills had a surplus of male workers, as he knew that header-harvester drivers, blacksmiths, and experienced farm workers had been attracted to the mill by easier conditions and higher wages. Mr Carpenter said he had had reported to him instances of men going daily to the Kaiapoi mills from the Fernside district. It was stated that they found four men doing what two and one would be required to do on a farm. Some delegates then stated that the new system of Ministerial portfolios was so tangled that it was difficult to know which Minister dealt with the various problems of farmers. Mr ,K. W. J. Hall: Why don’t the Army take half of them and then we might get somewhere?

Mr Metherell; They’re going to manage the Waikato mines. Advice was received that the qy tion of opening country petrol station* and post offices OTI Friday evenings mr the convenience of farmers was oei 6 investigated. . . Mr S. G. Farquhar mentioned tne « sponsibility placed on milk vendors the tuberculine testing of the Most city suppliers relied on outsin sources to supply their heifers and me; had no guarantee of the condition o the animals, he said. It was agreed look into the question of a system « testing before sale or an insurance scheme of compensation to protect Duy*. ers from losses of stock through inspec* tion. ■