THE FARM LABOURER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13702, 19 March 1908, Page 3

THE FARM LABOURER.

WANTED IN AUSTRALASIA

PROMOTION OF IMMIGRATION.

[i'HOM OX:r own CORRKSi'OXDKXT.]

Sydn*kt, March 11. Bring out the farm labourer, is the advice given by Mr. Williamson Wallace, formerly Director of Agriculture in Victoria for three years, and before that hear] of the Department of Agriculture for the Egyptian Government. A resident of Scotland, he lias just come here from New Zealand, on his way to visit Melbourne, and this is the advice he gives in an interview with a Sydney Daily Telegraph representative: —

"The greatest need of this country, both Australia and New Zealand, is the occupation of the land. As to how it is to be done by emigration from abroad, it appears to me that there arc not many farmers in the United Kingdom willing to come out here to occupy the land.

One of the reasons is that up to 1879 we had very good times. Farms were competed for and high rents were paid. Farms were taken on lease, a lease, being the principal form of tenure in Scotland, Bad times came in the eighties. Many farmers were ruined, and farms were let at reduced prices. The ranks of the fanners were thinned, and competition was not so keen. A man may now make a good bargain, more especially as sheep have been a good price for a number of years. So tanning here is not such a great advantage us it once was.

"Besides, the land has risen in price in Australasia. "Money, too, is more plentiful, and the difference in profit is not so extensive as it used to be. For example, Professor Lowrie, of the Lincoln College, New Zealand, tells me that on the Canterbury Plains, owing to the rise in the price of laud, farmers are now not making more than six per cent, on their capital, including their own labour.

"If this country is to be qujckly populated in the rural districts, the only thing to do is to import the young agricultural labourer. It is all to his advantage to come to Australia and New Zealand. A young man in Scotland, perfect in all farm work, can be employed tor 18s per Meek, without lodging or board, which cost him 9s to 10s per week. He has practically only 8s left for clothes, tobacco, etc., whereas in Australasia the same type of man can easily earn. £1 to 25s per week, board and lodging included.

"With very few years' economy on his part lie will be in a position to begin fanning in a small way on his own account, possibly rising to this by working on shares in wheat cultivation, dairying, etc. He will have additional advantages of knowing colonial methods, whereas the farmer coming from the United Kingdom with capital will have these conditions to loam at some considerable cost. If the country is to be populated with farmers with capital, my opinion is that it will be a very slow process, whereas it can be done with comparative ease by importing farm labourers as long as the wages are maintained at the present rates. "Before one of these farm labourers can save sufficient money to pay his way to Australia without assistance out of 8s a week, lie will in all probability prefer to spend his saved money, say £20, by marrying and settling down at Home. Therefore, if Australia wants these men she ought to offer the greatest possible facilities in the way of cheap passages and assistance to get them employment at once on their arrival here.

''I am quite convinced that after a few thousand Scotsmen succeeded in Australia they would bring many thousands more of their own friends. To my personal knowledge young ploughmen a.nd agricultural labourers left Scotland last year for Canada, and if they had known what waits them here, and had received assistance to come, they would have come to Australia rather than to a climate like Canada.

The fact is that everyone knows about Canada, whereas information concerning Australia is exceedingly meagre. It will be years before Australia, however busy, will be able to disseminate knowledge like Canada. Canada has a long start, and Australia 'will have to work hard to overtake it.

"As to getting at the agricultural labourer, especially in Scotland, where he wishes to be very sure of his facts before he can be induced to leave, the best procedure would be, not to spend a great deal of money in newspaper advertising, nor even in public lectures, but to appoint an agent who knew the conditions in Australia and also Home conditions. He would go from country village to country village, having previously announced his coming, and there meet all the agricultural labourers who wished to gain information concerning Australia. An hour's talk with them, ' answering the questions they would naturally ask, would do more to encourage immigration and spread the true facts "than any other method I can think of. When the case is a. good one, there would be no difficulty in an agent persuading the farm hands that the change in their position would be very much to their advantage."