FARM LABOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 131, 30 November 1939, Page 10

FARM LABOUR

A VITAL QUESTION

WARTIME PRODUCTION

: ; Orie of the,greatest factors affecting farm production in New Zealand today was-the .question, of farm labour,. I said Mr. A, Linton, in an s address to the Dominioh .dairy conference yesterday: It ■•'appeared.'', to "■'every, practical man in the '.■farming; industry that unless this problem;-was-vsolved at; the earliest possible moment/ there could not- possibly be. any advance ,iri dairy production.in the near future.* . In every part of New Zealand herds were being'reduced and farm work in every direction because;of the. inability-:'.of' farmers, 'to. 'obtain. : efficient : an'd; Satisfactory labour, ' Mr.' iiiiiton; cohtiniied; ■ JHei'h'a'd: yet ;t6'^m.^6t the ' farmer who; was 'i-ncj-b-arixicius ;'V to. increase production^,' .but1 ::>,the • cards'. were : slacked ':'against:■.•',.n?.n?'- ■•; Public} Works1 ■competition, under the present' conditions,was unfair."1 competition, and; the recent; increase in' Public Works wages and the refusal of the -Govern-, inent to increase the 'prices to be p&id to the dairy farmer had made :the;position /Worse. A 40-hdur week ;,bn>■■S'at. farm was impossible without .a isub' i: stantial rise in pricesffor primary ■products^: '• . ••'.- ■''■•■'■ -■ ■" ''. i1'-.^'r!' There could not possibly be any increase in production and the' farming industry^could1 never risev to its maxi-. mum war .effort unless' the' position was adjusted. "With the,\present war requirements jit was ah absolute necessity for' a: national register of manpower to be taken immediately, so.that every man in New Zealand could be used to the best advantage. It was also, essential, if the Government expected any increase in farm production, that the vital question of farm labour should hsve far more sympathetic consideration.