SCARCITY OF FARM LABOUR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 16035, 16 September 1912, Page 7

SCARCITY OF FARM LABOUR.

AN INTERESING SIDELIGHT.

OBSERVATIONS BY MR LOMAS. [From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, September 14.

Some interesting comment is made in this year's Labour Report by the Secretary ior Labour, Mr J. Lpinas, respecting tho methods adopted by farmers in employing labour, and conveying the suggestion that the inability of agriculturists to obtain sufficient lauour lies ,to a large extent at tho door of the farmers themselves.

Mr Lonias says:—"l would like to emphasise the fact that farmers, especially dairy farmers, are in the habit of engaging their labour through tho Department's agents in the early spring, and after providing work from September to April, inclusive, many discharge tho men during the winter. A fairly large number of such instances have come under my notice, while in othor cases hands arc kept on at reduced wages. Whilst this is a legitimate action on the part of farmers, it has tho tendency to break the men's lining for the work, besides greatly increasing tho Department's problem of finding work for such men during the winter months. Almost invariably the men find their way to the towns, and if they are succesful in finding work they will not return again to tho country districts when the busy season starts. Somo reliable evidence has also been given to the Department that in a number of instances for wages of from £1 5s to £1 10s per week men in the dairying districts are expected to commence work at 4 a.m. and not to finish till 8 p.m., and when the season slackens and tho daylight hours draw in they havo to face discharge or reduced earnings. Such boing tho case, I must infer that these methods aro responsible to some extent for tho shortage of farm labour experienced, as conditions such as these will not bo accepted by men when they can secure hotter working conditions elsewhere. During the coming season the question as to the probable duration of employment will bo asked of farmers by "tho Department, and- preference will bo given to those employers who gunranteo workers some reasonable period of employment."