COUNTRY NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7020, 7 January 1910, Page 5

COUNTRY NOTES

(By Our Travelling Reporter.)

Faced with a scarcity of labour, at a time when hired labour is least dispensable, farmers throughout tho country are anxiously inquiring the whereabouts of the hundreds of unemployed the country heard, so : much about some . six months ago. What hus become of the shiploads of immigrants that have poured into the country? Where have they! gone to? They are not in -the .towns, for we hear no outcry about uriiemploy-; ment, and certainly they axe not in.-.tnj'.-country,, ..■'.:" ',-■ '-"" ! A Manawatu farmer, speSiking of-ths edircity of farm labour, and its , cease; l ' quent loss and hardship to farmers, Saidthat the time was'ripe for the Govern*- 1 ment to inaugurate an up-to-date immigration scheme—a Bchenie thut would ensure the country: getting rural workers, a class of, workers New Zealand needed most. ; October and' November were, in his opinion, tho two best months in the year for immigrants to land.' By , that time the busy Reason in on, and workers arrivirig during those months, would bo readily absorbed,, taid before the, slack season comes round they will have acquired : a fair knowledge of tho conditions governing farm ra.bouir in the country, besides having the opportunity of ■ saving a few, pounds, which is not the case with immigrants landing during the winter months when, work is practically. "off."''.'

jGreat care, though, should bo taken to ensure the getting, of the right class of i workers, and only; those possessing farm- : : ins experience should be selected. The',' evil of not inquiring' closely into the bona fides of applicants for assisted pas-, y sages was only too apparent teet winter,] ~ when an analysis showed tjiat only ai , small percentage of the immigrants had* worked on farms. In Iris opinion, the immigration scheme, proposed 'by' Dri Chappie, U precis of'which, appeared in.. a recent: issue of tho "New ZealandTimes," would not, on. account of tho restrictions it imposed, be tolerated byj farmers. Tho scheme provides that for two years at least after their arrival, the immigrants shall be "wurds of the.' Labour Department, which means that iarmers employing these immigrants willhave to conform-to whatever conditions'> tho Labour Department likes to impose, i and be subject to periodical visits from-; inspectors, who may, for tho least offence on the pUrt of the farmer, cancel the right of employment, and remove ■ the employees, a state of affairs w» fanner would brook.

Between the farmer and farm labourer , there is a positive identity, of. interests. The labourer of to-day becomes the farmer of to-morrow, and it is absolutely necessary for the best of relations t 0... exist between employer and employee if the one is to receive t tho' best results from the other's labour, and the other is to learn thoroughly the many things connected with farming..

Another farmer, one who employs a considerable number of hands, considered that tho present system of obtaining immigrants was as good as any, but owing to the negligence on the part of eome-> one at Home, a great many immigrants sent out as farm labourers had never seen a farm, nor a cow, for that matter, except in a picture. If the immigration officer, he added, would, instead of telling applicants for passages of the many marvellous sights, and drawing for their imagination pictures which, by the way, are never realised and only lead to disappointment and distrust, advise 'them to procure a pick and shovel and an axe and come to New Zealand, they would be given ample opportunities for using them. ' ■