FARM LABOURERS ENLISTING

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 187, 4 May 1940, Page 8

FARM LABOURERS ENLISTING

Concern Expressed At Shortage Dominion Special Service. CHRISTCHURCH, May 3. “The farm labour position is infinitely more serious today than it vas -ast season because of the large number of enlistments of country boys m the Army,” said Mr. W. E. Hale, chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Board, addressing tiie board’s Christchurch ward conference. Conscription or a national register of manpower was the only fair way to stop this drift from the land, he said. . ~ . “The truth of the matter is that

today production is so vitally important from the viewpoint of Great Britain that a trained farm worker is of greater value in his job than in a uniform,” Mr. Hale continued. “If there were conscription that position would be clear and no stigma would attach to these country boys. As it is today, many of them feel that it is their duty to go, and by devious ways they see that they do go.

“From a knowledge of a number of different districts I would hazard the opinion that from 20 to 25 per cent, of those who have so far gone overseas have been farm workers. In the first Instance, their enlistment was welcomed by the military authorities, who realize the calibre of men who are used to an outdoor life and who can be quickly trained to become good soldiers. “Representations were made to the Government, and I must say that the Government did everything it could to

help improve the position. Its efforts were, however, only partly effective. 1 expect you know, as I do, of numerous cases where a farm boy went to enlist, was told he was in a reserved occupation, so threw up his job, became uqj employed, and was afterward accepted for service. You cannot blame boys with an adventurous spirit. It is all to the good that we still have these qualities in our young people, but we said, and wo still say, that the only way to prevent them going, the only way which is fair to them, is to have conscription, or at the very least a national register of manpower.” Mr. Hale said he did not doubt that stronger measures would be taken to prevent more country boys from going away, but even now the difficulties were great. “Before the war came we were short of farm labour in many districts, and now, with some thousands actually in the forces, the situation is acute,” he concluded.