“BREAKING POINT”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21148, 16 July 1943, Page 4

“BREAKING POINT”

LABOUR ON FARMS

POSITION IN GISBORNE DISPERSAL OF HERDS “We have got to the breaking point,” stated Mr. M. Doyle, chairman of directors, at the annual-meeting of the Kia Ora Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, yesterday when referring to a reduction in butter output because of a shortage of labour on farms. /....< ,

Tiie Gisborne district would be affected during the coming season, he said. Numbers of farmers were selling out, because they could not secure sufficient labour, in favour of other production which, though not as profitable as dairying, was inevitable under the circumstances. They had carried on as long as possible with their families, but were now forced to give-up dairying. Fewer cows were milked last season and fewer would be milked- during the coming season. During the past few weeks, several suppliers had asked for labour, but it was difficult to secure labour of the right type. The British Government would take all the butter New Zealand could produce, but the country could not increase its production without the necessary labour,’- Men called to the armed forces should be replaced in farm production, and many 'of the men on garrison duty in the Dominion might be suitable for farm work, and if they were it. was the duty of the Government to release them for the -industry. He knew other industries were affected as well, but he knew of* no other industry which was, worse off' than dairying. Replying to a recent statement by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. ,T. G. Barclay, that farm production had been kept up, the chairman said that production had been kept up only by the efforts of the farmers' families, but it had got to such a stage in many cases that they could carry on no longer. That was the reason for so many-clearing sales this winter. Yet it was surprising- how prices for dairy cows were keeping up. The cows purchased at clearing sales, however; were not used to increase the number in other herds but only as replacements.