SHORTAGE OF FARM LABOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22183, 9 August 1935, Page 15

SHORTAGE OF FARM LABOUR

Sir, —A good farm hand is worth even in these days a good wage, but too many who offer to work in this capacity are totally ignorant of tho proper methods to go about tho job and often cost a farmer moro than their wages in losses. It was my privilege, at ono time, for a space of three years, to have in my employ a young Maori lad, just 20 years of age, to whom I paid £3 a week and found, and I never at any time got hotter value for my money. He could erect a good fence, handle animals of all sorts, and was altogether a first-class hand. To-day too often a youth or man will call himself a farm hand who knows nothing more than to place the teat cups on a cow. A good farm hand is not made in a day, but it takes years of experience. Once a man has attained tho right to call himself a good hand ho will have no difficulty in finding a good job at a §ood wage under comportable conitions. As an employer of farm labour over a long spell of years I can assure you there are many so-called farm hands worth less than their tucker. Really good men that are entitled to a good wage are few and far between. Farmer. Sir, —Will tho Government never wake up to the fact that tho secret of solving New Zealand's unemployment problem is to bring about conditions on farms that will mako tho life attractive to our young men? Those who are not skilled farm 'hands now would willingly spend a few months lenrning if they were suro of a job under reasonable conditions. And if working hours were mado reasonable, many who now find farm work too strenuous for them would bo ablo to tackle it. Wo farm hands havo been paying a considerable portion of our weekly pittance in exliorbitant taxes for some years past without receiving anything in return except tho hope of an old ago pension when wo are unable to drudge any longer. It is high time the Government woke up and did something really definite toward helping us get a fair deal. One o' the Mugs.