FARM LABOUR CRY

Grey River Argus, 23 April 1937, Page 7

FARM LABOUR CRY

Truth About It accommodation bad. DUNEDIN, April 20. The Otago provincial council of foe New Zealand Farmers’ Union was addressed by the- Placement/ Officer (Air T. A. White), who said that from his observation, it seemed that the shortage of farm, labour it a- cue largely to insufficiency of accommodai oii for married men. The department had urged farmers t 0 „ more accommodation tor tins I- > and had met with a fair measure of i success. . . . .. Mr White outlined the provisions o 'the new No. 4E Scheme, which he admitted did- not seem to be all it should be and was not taking on as the ffipaitment-' had expected. lie rcierre to the steps which had been take.i to fill vacancies for farm labour, and urged farmers, when look.ng for men for farms, to communicate immedia.e. lv with the (Placement Office. Mr A Renton said it was impossible to train a youth properly in farm work in four montlha, which was the time allowed under the Scheme. Moreover, very few farmers would take a youth from town if -hey eould he.p “That, seems to be the posit.on in the north,” said Mr White. “Nevertheless, apart from that', we have an abundance of farm labour, and nave been sending men as far away as Goie and Oamaru. We have hlLd twenty jobs in the last ten days and all of' the men were experienced iaim hands. We have no difficulty m idling any requests for work.”