THE FARM LABOUR SHORTAGE.

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 914, 18 January 1918, Page 8

THE FARM LABOUR SHORTAGE.

A Myth, TTT is toi be hoped the Military Boards . throughout the Dominion will in future "turn down" any applications which may be made by farmers on the ground of an alleged ''shortage of labour." This "shortage" has now been proved to be a myth. There is no shortage of farm labour. On the contrary, from every part of the country comes the same story of a surplus of labour, both ordinary and volunteer;, being available for harvesting operations. Last week we referred to the way in which men had been tricked into flocking to Canterbury. Since then we read of scores of men walking about in Blenheim, unable to procure the harvesting work they had been led to believe would be so plentiful, and the same dreary tale is told of the Auckland Province. What becomes then of the pitiful pilea put forward in Parliament and in certain newspapers that the farming industry would be ruined if meh are taken for military service P # * * * It should be the duty of the Labour Department to. ascertain and expose the origin of the frequently appearing reports, in November and early in December last, as to the serious shortage of harvesting labour. These reports hinted that it was probable, that as much as 2s 6d an hour would be given for harvesting and that even then it might be difficult to get the* crops in. As a matter of fact, there is any quantity of labour available. So far from the men getting an, hour, Is 6d and as low as Is 3d is being offered by the. Christcliurch labour agents. From all over the Dominion men and youths have been attracted to the grain-growing districts by these highly-coloured reports, and who can blame them if they suspect that the cry of a shortage and the hints as to high wages being obtainable, have been a dodge to get cheap labour and to help certain unpatriotic farmers and their sons to obtain exemption from military service. If the Labour Department cannot protect the workers from being exploited by such mean trickery, then it is not worth preserving as a State institution.