FARM LABOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 146, 21 June 1940, Page 13

FARM LABOUR

Efficient'men needed

Declaring that primary production . was the most important phase of New * Zealand's war effort, Mr. W.; S. Goos- ;- man (National, Waikato) appealed to the. Minister of Labour to supply effi- ■ cient workers 4o_ the farmers. Much of the wastage Iri" herds was. the result of inefficient labour employed on the farms. .■'.,- - A Government, member: That is a new one. ; . . • Mr. Goosman: To anybody with experience- it is as old as the hills. \ ' He went on to say that it was at the sacrifice of efficiency that some farmers were able to keep men em- : ployed .at all. The majority of. the labour sent to farmers by placement officers was inexperienced. "Labour is plentiful in number but the quality : is not there," he added. "The farmers are anxious to do their part and if they get the assistance they; require, there will be no doubt about the results." • He suggested that the Government should guarantee efficient labour to the farmers and thus remove the terror -they felt at being left in the lurch when they had large' dairy herds and other stock. I The Minister of Labour (the Hon. j P. C. Webb): My Department has 1000 | experienced farmers waiting for jobs, j Mr. Goosman said that work should be found by the Government in farming districts for men who could/ be. placed on farms when they were needed. Mr. Webb: Will you name the farm•v. ers who want Labour? -. . * Mr. Goosman said the farmers did not want men of the type offering.

and said more action should be taken against the "fifth column." Ev^en in the precincts of Parliament there was a fifth column. Last Saturday "Lord Haw Haw" had broadcast from Berlin the movements of one of the Dominion's cruisers. Surely the Government could do sometihng to stop that sort of thing? It was doing practically nothing, but he could not'see anything wrong in dealing with every person suspected of disloyalty or subversive: activities. Mr Endean said that he agreed with the members for Napier (the Hon. W. E. Barnard) and for Grey Lynn (Mr. J. A. Lee) that the Government was ruled by the trade union bosses. There was no longer any democracy in New Zealand, but a "bossocracy." Mr. A. S. 'Richards (Government, Roskill): It used to be "squatocracy." The country could not make a 100 per cent, war effort unless certain people were dealt with. Mr. Endean said. The output of coal in the Wai-1 kato had decreased by 25 per cent, because of go-slow methods and strikes. If the war effort was to be speeded up the Government would have to discipline the coal miners. The Minister of Mines (the Hon. P. j C. Webb): Do you know that the miners have agreed to work longer hours without extra pay? That might be so, Mr. Endean replied, but what he said was correct.