SCARCITY OF LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1030, 20 January 1911, Page 5

SCARCITY OF LABOUR.

ACTION BY AUCKLAND FARMERS' UNION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Auckland, January 19. The Auckland executive of tho Farmers' Union has decided to, undertake the importation of farm labourers oii its own account. The., subject: of shortage of workers was raised at to-day's meeting of the executive in a letter from tho secretary of the Clevedon branch in which he drew attention specially to tho difficulty in obtaining workers for dairy farms. In one instance,' he said, a farmer who owned 80 cows was left to milk them single-handed at Christmas time, and after a couple of days gave it up in disgust and sold his herd. In another case a child of 13 had to milk 10 cows twice a day. Tho members of tho executive discussed the matter at some length. One of the aspects of the question was that the dearth of workers prevented farmers from expanding their energies, restricting them to small, outputs and preventing the full development of the capabilities of the land. Mr. Joseph Flanagan, a member who takes an activo interest in questions of tho Sort, stated that he was about to make a trip to England and would undertake to securo as many English or Scotch agricultural workers as positions could l>e found for. It was immediately determined that Mr. Flanagan should act a? the union's emigration officer and that steps should be taken to communicate with farmers and find lout what definito arrangements would bo mado as to employing tho men brought out. In the meantime the executive will find out from tho Government and -tho steamship companies what facilities can bo obtained. '