FARM PRODUCTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23491, 31 October 1939, Page 9

FARM PRODUCTION

MANY DIFFICULTIES LABOUR NOT AVAILABLE PLACEMENT OFFICER'S VIEW [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Monday Statements that efforts to increase production in New Zealand were being hampered by lack of finance, heavy costs, the inability of the farmer to pay competitive prices for labour, and by the import restrictions, were made

by several speakers at a meeting of the Waikato District Council of Primary Production to-day. Mr. W. Dempster was elected chairman and Mr. A. W. Storey secretary.

Mr. H. H. Clark produced correspondence which showed that many requisites needed for breaking in new land were subject to import restrictions, while licences could not bo obtained for the importation of topdressers. V

Mr. J. M. Smith, superintendent of the fields division, Department of Agriculture:, Those restrictions will have to bo removed, that is obvious.

"The general labour position with respect to farms in the Waikato is bad," said Mr. C. Walker, placement officer, who added that whatever was the position in other districts, he was unablo to fill the numerous vacancies for farm positions he had on his books. Those who were offering were discriminating, and were making their choice from the jobs available. A resolution was passed drawing tho Government's attention to the need to provide the farmer with sufficient finance to enable him to extend his operations and to remove the barriers that now hindered him

Committees were appointed to investigate the avenues for obtaining more farm labour, for securing secondary school boys to work on farms, and to fix their remuneration, and to arrange for labour for harvesting and other seasonal operations.

PUBLIC WORKS FUND DIVERSION OF £6,000,000 MR. C. J. PARLANE'S SCHEME BUILDING OF FARM COTTAGES [FROM OUK OWN COIUtESPONDKNT] HAMILTON, Monday "While the New Zealand farmer is clamouring for labour, and the Government is urging increased production, is the Public Works Department's programme worth while?" asked Mr. C. J. Parlane, general manager of the New Zealand Cb-operative Dairy Company, Limited, in an address to the Hamilton Rotary Club to-day. Mr. Parlane suggested that the Government should divert £6,000,000 from the Public Works Account to the Dairy Account, and subsidise the dairy farmers to the extent of 3d per lb. butter-fat. The Government should also cease building houses in the towns and build them in the country. Two cottages could be built in the country for the moitey it cost to build ono house in the town. With the subsidy, the farmer could attract labour from the Public Works camps, and could . extend his farming activities.

PRICE FOR BUTTER CAMBRIDGE COMMENT [from OUK OWN con respondent] CAMBRIDGE, Monday The fact that 99 per cent of the farmers in New Zealand were disappointed with the price they were going to receive from the Government this season for butter and cheese was expressed by the president, Mr. W. N. Perry, at a meeting of the Cambridge Farmers' Union, i The Minister of Marketing had appealed for increased production, said Mr. Perry, but unless the Government reconsidered its decision and raised the price, or the season was very favourable, an increase would not result. However, before criticising the Government too much, the price the British Government was going to pay had to be known. It was decided to hold a mass meeting of farmers at an early date.