TEN SHILLINGS HAND

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 36, 11 August 1933, Page 5

TEN SHILLINGS HAND

PREFERS CAMP TO FARM

FARMERS' PROBLEM

Recent advertising tests of the Auckland farm labour market indicate that farmers can attract labour with 20s a week, and perhaps at 15s a week, but not at 10s a week; and the relief camps (sometimes held up as very bad places) are blamed for cutting off the farmers' supply of ten shilling a week labour. With spring in the air—the dairying season officially started on the Ist of this month—this question has beeDmo topical in Auckland, and the "Herald" of Monday's date states:— Over fifty vacancies for farm workers were advertised in Saturday's issue of the "Herald," and labour agencies approached stated' many of these vacancies had been on their books for weeks. "Jobs for single men at 10s or 12s Gd a week cannot be filled," one ' agent said. "Young men seem.to.prefer tho known prospects of the relief camps to the unknown chances of a farm job for which farmers can afford to pay--little more than is offered by the Government. '' The opinion is freely expressed that farmers will .be faced with a very serious problem in securing labour this year under present conditions. Last year a labour shortage was evident in. October and November, but this.season it has already begun to opferate t and when harvesting commences fears ara entertained that the shortage will become acute and farmers will bo forced to offer high wages in an effort to get their products on the market. "At 20s a week there is plenty of labour offering," an agent said.- Ha mentioned that in response to an advertisement on Saturday offering 20s for a farm hand, with machine milking, over a dozen applicants had appeared in the office by 10 a.m., the time fixed for appointment. A position at "15s a week also would draw a fairly largo number of applicants, but at 10s or 12s 6d there was practically no response. Out of this month's registrations alone we have seventeen jobs at 10s still unfilled." "As far as boys are concerned, wa could place any number of good strong youths of 16 at 10s a week," he added. "They do not need much training, and are willingly engaged by farmers, but they are not offering." The diversity of positions availabla on the land is shown by perusal. of Saturday's half-column of advertisements. For a "smart, conscientious boy" on a general dairy farm, £1 a week was offered, while a vacancy for an experienced youth carried with it 255. a week. For a family of sufficient labour, £4 a week with free house and milk, or, alternatively, a third of milk cheques and a halfrshare in calves and1 pig sales^ was offered. Most of the advertisements were for single men, but married couples were required in a number of instances. The effect of relief wages is stated belabour agencies to be the principal factor in creating the present difficulties with which farmers requiring labour ara faced. Single men can earn 10s ,a week in camp, while wages earned on ; a farm are subject to the unemployment tax. Community companionship is also considered to be an additional advantage of camp life, while the more regular and fixed hours of relief work weight tho scales in its favour. :■ - y-