LABOUR PROBLEMS OF ORCHARDISTS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 264, 4 August 1937, Page 11

LABOUR PROBLEMS OF ORCHARDISTS

Wages and Restrictions

GROWERS, LIKE WORKERS, NEED GUARANTEE

“It is rather difficult to understand

why the fruit industry, which admittedly is not in a prosperous condition, should have "been picked out to bear higher wages and greater restrictions of hours than any other primary industry in New Zealand,” said the chairman of the New Zealand Fruit-Export Control Board, Mr. H. E. Stephens, at the annual conference of that body at Wellington yesterday. Mr. Stephens said that the export guarantee for the 1937 season had been increased by the Government from 10/to 10/6 per case, c.i.f., to enable growers to pay higher wages to labour. This 'action applied only to the 30 per cent, of the crop which was exported from New Zealand, although the other 70 per cent, of the crop also had to bear the increased charges. The Government, therefore, announced that it would make available £40,000 as ar subsidy on locally-sold fruit, provided the increased returns were not sufficient to meet, the increased costs due to higher wages. A difficulty in regard to this proviso was that the grower had to meet the increased costs week by week, and it would be many months before he would know what amount, if any, he was entitled to receive from the £40,000. Legislation Feared.

This form of guarantee had not resulted in the employment of more labour, as had been hoped. The main person to benefit had been the small grower, who employed little or no outside labour. There had been an increasing amount of work done by the wives and families on the orchard, and a very definite tendency to restrict the amount of fruit handled to what could be done; by the family, with the employment of a minimum amount of hired labour.

It was also noticeable that the maintenance work was not being kept up to standard owing to the high wages. On, the larger orchards more difficulty was being experienced, and owners were diffident about investing further capital in them owing to the fear of future legislation and the -rising demands of labour unions. “Such measures as guaranteeing prices, raising wages to increase the buying capacity of workers, and employing surplus labour on unreproductive work, only temporarily relieve the position, and a permanent cure can only be effected by rationalising primary production,” said Mr. Stephens. “The real objective to be aimed at is to be able to place our products on the world’s markets at world market prices, so that'the producer will be able to obtain a fair return for his labour. Equal Burden. “If in trying to attain this, it is found that the return is insufficient to give all labour handling the produce the high standard of living that the Government desires, then it will be the Government’s duty to find ways and means of making up the difference, or, if sacrifices have to be made, the Government must see that the burden is borne equally; if hired labour is to be guaranteed a certain standard, then it is equally desirable that the producer, and the employer - of labour be also guaranteed to the same extent.”

Mr. T. C. Brasli, president of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation, said that the increase of the Government guarantee from 10/- to 10/6 had been a generous gesture to meet the cost of higher wages for the 1937 season, but it would not be adequate for 1938. Packing materials alone would be up in price by 6d. a case, and growers would have to bear the burden of higher wages for the full year, . which they had not had to do in 1937.