FARM LABOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 15, 17 July 1937, Page 13

FARM LABOUR

GOVERNMENT SCHEME

USE-OF SUSTENANCE MEN

: Reporting to the Dominion conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Urn"on yesterday afternoon, Mr. D. B. Higgins (Auckland) said that a committee had waited on the Undersecretary of Labour (Mr. J. S. Hunter) and had discussed with him the question of employing men on sustenance as farm labourers. .It had been arranged that men receiving £1 a week as sustenance would be placed on farms and the farmers would make i up their wages to £2 2s Gd a week and keep the men. It was proposed to try out the scheme this season, and the Government would pay the subsidy for at least six months, at the i end of which period the farmers would | report whether the men were suitable j for farm work or not. The Government was looking for the co-operation of the farmers and was anxious that there should be no exploitation.

Mr. H. O. Mellsop (Auckland) said that the -..rmers were not going to get a subsidy. The men were to get the subsidy during the period of training.

Mr. T. McMath (Southland) asked if .the scheme applied to dairy farmers only.

Mr. Higgins: Oh no, we want as few restrictions as possible.

Mr.- H. R. Thomas (Wairarapa) moved that the Government should be urged to include, in the syllabus of technical-education training in farming ■ practice, and that the fullest use should be made of farms and farmtraining schools. It was essential, he said, that boys, destined for country life should receive training in .farm practice before leaving school.

The motion was carried,