DOMINANT DEMAND

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 65, 14 September 1923, Page 2

DOMINANT DEMAND

MAN-POWER FOR FARMER'S

ACUTE SHORTAGE OF LABOUR.

(BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL 10 THE POST.)

AUCKLAND, This • Day. Ine acute shortage of farm labour "and the_ difficulties which farmers are eucoun- " tering received a good deal of attention by the provincial executive of the Farmers' Union on Tuesday evening. The Dominion secretary forwarded the reply of the Minister of Immigration r to representations 'regarding immigration made by the recent Dominion conference of the. Farmers' Union. The Minister stated that a very satisfactory agreement and scheme in the 'matter of assistance toward immigrants' pas-' sages were in full working order It remained for residents of the Dominion - to _ake advantage of the nomination- system to obtain the desired additional population. The Minister suggested that the Auckland union should consider the ' advisability of utilising the system of nomination. The question of a" land settlement agreement'had not been overlooked and as soon as the time was deemed opportune the necessary steps would be taken to obtain such an agreement. It was, however, held by the Government that the Dominion was yet ♦ r i'° m •ng •in a Position financially to adopt any'definite scheme. „' V™ "Ported that the president (iui. a. Ji. Haiding) had interviewed the Imperial Immigration- Delegation and had promised on behalf of the Dominion Executive the assistance of the union in the delegation's investigations. It was decided to request the Dominion president to meet the delegation- in Wellington. ' .. %. B. D. Duxfield said that the provincial secretary was receiving a large number of- applications for farm labour, which was the dominant demand in the Dominion. The. labour market in the country was crying out for manpower, and . the Dominion wanted close settlement to reduce, overhead expenses. He was surprised at-the apathy of the Government in view of the fact that the Imperial Government had offered the cost of bringing immigrants out. Mi-. A. C. M'Cardle deplored the difficulties in the way of fanners in borrowing money, and said that 30s to 35s a week and found as a wage for farm labourers was far more than farmers •were earning themselves. The chairman (Mr. C. ,C. Murito) said the crying need was for farmers with capital. There were such men in England who would willingly come out hero of they were encouraged. Some of them had arrived in the country, but had returned because of the lack of encouragement. °

_ Mr A. N. Mackay advanced the opinion that an important present need was money to enable landowners 'to bnOd cottages for married labourers This would overcome much of the difiicu/ty. (Hear, hear.) - J