Labour for Farmers

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 235, 5 October 1936, Page 2

Labour for Farmers

SOUTH TARANAKI TAKES ACTION. Questions covering all phases of the rural labour shortage will bo addressed to the farmers of South Taranaki as a result, of a decision made by the Farmers' Union executive. With the information gained in this way the executive considered it would be in a posi : tion to take whatever action was necessary under the circumstances. Mr. H. J. Finlay suggested tho following questions, which were adopted with the addition of one relating to accommodation on farms:— Do you employ labour? Have you sufficient labour? How many men do you require to run your farm efficiently? Does your wife assist with the milking?

How many children under 15 years of age assist with the milking? Do you consider the guaranteed price sufficient to pay the wages demanded by. tho new legislation? Messrs. W. A. Sheat (president), Finlay and E. K. Cameron (secretary; were delegated to attend to the final drafting and distribution of the circular, and Mr. Cameron was instructed to obtain from the Labour Department details of its placement scheme and tho activities of its labour bureaux and to advertise information that would help tho farmer to get labour.

The establishment of a Taranaki farm labour bureau, to which farmers would address requests for men, was advocated by Mr. J. S. Tosland. This, he said, would show whether the Government was sincere in its statement that it would not employ men on public works when farmers needed labour, Primary production had to find the money to pay the interest on the loans raised for public works, he pointed out. Farmers were not bad employers and farm work was not as hard as that of a navvy.

The secretary said much tho same request had been made to the department before. Labour Department officers acted as bureaux and all postmasters wero working under tho placement scheme. However, it would do no harm to ascertain exactly what facilities tho department offered in finding labour for farmers.

A member of the executive said he had been advertising for a man since July and had not been able to get one, and others added instances of a similar nature, wages as high as £2 10s not attracting a suitable response. “We do not know definitely what the shortage of labour is,'' said Mr. Finlay in suggesting the questionnaire. Ho know of a man who was giving a youth of 18 £3 a week and his keep because he was afraid of losing him. This was moro than the farmer himself was receiving and made other farm workers dissatisfied. He knew of one case whero a whole family received only £l3 a month off the farm.

“Is flying going to bo our main activity in future?" asked Mr. Sheat. “They are employing hundreds of men to make aerodromes and the farmer is short of labour."

Something must bo done to stop the attraction of men from farm work, he added. However attractive farm work was made other jobs were made still more attractive. He suggested the suspension of all public works. Though in favour of au immigration scheme to provide farm labour, the Otakeho branch wrote suggesting that in view of the same shortage in England a resumption of the public school boy scheme might be advisable. Consideration of the suggestion was deferred until information could be obtained and until tho questionnaire had been answered.