HARVEST CAMPS

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24187, 21 February 1944, Page 6

HARVEST CAMPS

ALLEGED WASTE OF MANPOWER DISCUSSION AT TIMARU The alleged waste of Army harvest labour in South Canterbury was the subject of a discussion between Lieu-tenant-Colonel K. J. Walker, Assistant Adjutant-General, Southern Military District, and the South Canterbury Primary Production Council at Timaru on Friday. Up to January 29, said Colonel Walker, the daily average of men employed from the camps In the district was only about one quarter of the total available. The figures quoted by Colonel Walker were misleading, said the secretary of the council (Mr A. B. Struthers). Included in the average was the period from January 10 to January 20—a period when the council had not requisitioned the services of men. Colonel Walker’s figures also included camp maintenance men as being available to farmers. In the case of one large camp the proportion of these men was about one-third of the strength, and in another one-sixth. To arrive at a fair estimate of the position the number of men engaged on camp maintenance should be either subtracted from the number available to farmers or added to the number engaged. It appeared also that the figures for wet days and Sundays had been included in the averages, said Mr Struthers.

The Army authorities had advocated establishing the camps in good time to avoid sudden demands for men which would cause inconvenience and delay, he continued. The weather had delayed the harvest, and crops had ripened very unevenly. There had been wide variations this season in this respect, even within the different districts, and farmers had been able to assist each other to a greater extent. If the crops had ripened together every farmer would have been fully engaged on his own land, and most would have dequired assistance from the Army. Another factor influencing the demand for Army labour was the introduction of 55 new header-harvesters into the district this season. Permits for most of these had been granted after the requisition of labour.

In the first fortnight in February, said Mr Struthers. from six to eight inches of rain had fallen in the district. This had necessarily delayed operations, but it was significant that ■just before and just after this rain fell all the men in most of the camps had been called on, proving that the council’s requisitions had not been excessive. About 70 men had been made available for harvesting because of the fact that the second chain in the freezing works at Pareora had started later than had been anticipated, said Mr T. McDonnell, of the National Service Department. Supporting the secretary in his remarks about ths weather. Mr W. J. Fletcher, chairman of the Waimate committee, said that this had been the most extraordinary season in his experience for variation in the ripening of crops in his district. Labour (or Mills One of the main problems in his own district had been to find experienced men for the threshing mills, added Mr Fletcher. The work was heavy and required fit men. He quoted examples of men manpowered from the Army who had been taken back at a moment’s notice just as they were getting used to the work, and made a strong request for these men to be left on the mills for the season. There was a shortage of about 40 men for the mills, said Mr Blazey. liaison officer for the National Service Department. Most of the youths of 18 and 19 years eligible for the one month’s training were unsuitable for the work. „ . , , Replying to Mr Fletcher, Colonel Walker said that it was impossible to leave the men on the mills for the whole season, as most of them were eligible for one month’s training only He added that he realised the difficulties with which the farmers in South Canterbury had been faced this season, and thanked the members for their explanation.