SHORTAGE OF LABOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4476, 17 February 1917, Page 7

SHORTAGE OF LABOR.

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL’S QUANDARY. ROAD WORK IN BACK COUNTRY f AFFECTED. SETTLERS MAY HAVE TO ASSIST. For some time past the shortage of suitable labor has been felt by the Cook County .Council, and the County Oyerseer has been sometimes put to a stiff problem to find the necessary men to keep the roads open. The serious nature of the position has been accentuated by the wet season, as is :iidi r ated in the following extract ■p-"- 1 vMr Keane’s report, delivered a i die meeting of the Council yesterday':—“Owing to the shortage of b/bor I find it very difficult to carry out all the works authorised by the Council and as labor conditions are not likely to improve, I would suggest that only the most urgent new works be undertaken until after the war, as in mv opinion the maintenance of all existing roads should receive first (consideration. . . . The continual wet weather during the past month has left the back roads in a very bad state, particularly the Tauwharepavae road, and owing to the shortage qt labor I have difficulty in keeping this road open for waggon traffic. 1 ractically no wool has come down off this road yet, and with the conditions of weather ancl labor prevailing, I am doubtful whether I will he able to keep the road in sufficient repair to allow of waggon traffic.” The Chairman, Cr Lysnar, remarked that the position was a very serious one. He said that owing to the shortage of labor the Council was unable to get some of the roads clear in the Tologa Bay district and settlers at Tauwliareparae were unable to get their wool out. Much of the labor that was offering was useless, and good labor was scarce. The Council was faced with a serious question. He thought that the only course was to notify the settlers that the Council could not keep the roads open m certain districts and that they would have to assist if they wanted to get thenwool out. Men were leaving the Council’s employ to go to the frontThe Council would have to consider whether it would attend to only urgent works until after the wai. Cr Reynolds suggested that consideration should be given to each work as it came up before the: Council. The Chairman asserted that some of the settlers were most unreasonable If there was a broken culvert on then road, 40 miles from town, some of tlie settlers would ring up thy Count Office expecting to get it- attended t at once. Some of them would n even shift a limb of a tree: which had blown down. . , ~ , The Overseer. Mr Iveane, said that he was doing everything he could to get the wool out. He hoped to be able to do it but tlie prospect was not Chairman said that the settlers were complaining that the casua hands were no good. Some of the set tiers were asked if they could assist or crive men to help, but they had u plied that they could not spare APb°Mr Keane remarked that he lmd some good men on t-he stall, losing all his good men. Cr Witters said some ot mi were working time and a halt a V would be working even longei hoi is before long.. He thought that the Overseers. Messrs Keane and Guthm, should have power to instruct the sot t ers when minor work was required to be carried out, to do the work and thou|ht h tlmt St the Councillors would they sav they can t get men to do let .I,™ keep present, conditions two oi duee. / - were necessary for a few boms job If the settlers refused to do small c > s like these they could only have the Chairman : What about slips? Cr Witters replied that there veie sum r shS which the settlers could remove, but tlicre was a limit to iSe said that there were slips tint had not vet been cleaved away after the last floods, owing to no men £ available. He had heard complaints* from the settlers about these slins Air Keane added that some of the P settlers had assisted the Cornf a great deal, lending homes ™cmt charge and doing other work foi the discussion was then allowed to lapse. __