FARM LABOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 24000, 25 June 1941, Page 3

FARM LABOUR

ACUTE SHORTAGE INVOKING OF REGULATIONS A decision to urge that the National Service Emergency Regulations in regard to the recruitment of labour be applied to the farming industry was made at a meeting of the Auckland Distrtct Council of Primary Production | yesterday, when a lengthy discussion i developed on the shortage of labour foi 'primary production. I Referring to the reported shortagefor the harvesting of maize crops ir I the Whakatane district. Mr. J. R. Elsj bury, placement officer in Auckland jsaid men in Auckland had volunteered |to undertake the work, which had ; hitherto been done by Maoris. The : trouble was the lack accommodation i in the maize country. | Mr. Elsbury said the only man seeki ing farm work through his office had I been placed. By contrast, his office had I received 2()0 applications from men for | training under the footwear scheme. | "It is amazing "to learn that a number jof them had farming experience, but j were not keen to accept farm work," | he continued. None of those men had ; been accepted for training. ! "There is a large amount of casual I work about the city, and men say they i will not go on to farms," added -Mr. j Elsbury. "If the farmers are not going to secure sufficient labour it is a quesi tion of using the machinery provided to i maintain essential production." Men ! seeking" casual work on the. wharves, i known as "seagulls" were quite content ; to find one or two days' work a week, sufficient to pay for their room and give them cigarettes and other comforts. There was a lack of ambition : among them. The following resolution was adopted: "That from the point of_ view of i primary production, and in view of the ! present shortage of farm labour and j the likelihood of the position becoming ! more acute in the near future, the proi visions of the National Service Ernerg- | entry Regulations be applied to the | organisation of such labour."