LABOUR ON FARMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22390, 9 April 1936, Page 14

LABOUR ON FARMS

PROBLEM OF SHORTAGE IMMIGRATION SUGGESTED OPINIONS OF CONFERENCE [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Wednesday Consideration of a scheme to overcome the farm labour shortage was advocated at the annual sub-provincial conference in Hamilton to-day of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. Over 40 delegates were present. The conference was opened by the Mayor of Hamilton, Mr. J. I?. Fow, who said it was no secret that the prosperity of the Waikato had been built up by the farmers. The president of. the sub-provincial executive, Mr. S. N. Ziman, presided. A large number of remits were carried, and these will be forwarded to the provincial conference at Auckland. Considerable attention was, given to the question of securing sufficient farm labour, several members advocating a system of controlled 'immigration. Mr. D. B. Higgins, Matamata, said the conditions under which English public school boys were brought to New Zealand a few years ago as farm workers were a disgrace. He considered the union should launch a scheme and not leave the whole matter to the Government.

Mr. J. H. Furniss said that, although there was still a lafge number of unemployed men in New Zealand, there were very few qualified farm labourers among them. He considered that even a substantial increase in wages would not solve the problem, as the number of men at present required was definitely not available. A remit was passed advocating that a meeting of representatives of dairy companies and the Farmers' Union bo convened to consider some practical scheme for encouraging the immigration of men and youths suitable for farm employment, or some alternative scheme for overcoming tho farm lat/our shortage.

Although several members protested that it was an infringement of private enterprise, the conference carried _ a remit urging that proprietary dairy factories in competition with co-opera-tive factories should be bought by the Government and disposed of in accordance with the wishes of the co-operative companies; also that action be taken to eliminate overlapping between cooperative dairy companies and that no further licences be granted unless it can be shown that the existing factories and organisations cannot cope with the supply offering. The conference passed a number of remits dealing with tariffs, land valuations, ragwort control, derating and the bobby calf industry.

The following delegates were appointed to represent the Waikato district at the provincial conference in Auckland:—Messrs. C. J. Pierce, J. H. Furniss, R. H. Feisst. W. L. Ranstead, F. C. Roberts, D. H. Cavers. W. B. Cumming, G. T. Crawley. E. Wilson, C. L. Brett, A. T. Bryant, N. R. Fletcher.