FARM LABOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23957, 4 November 1939, Page 9

FARM LABOUR

PRESENT SHORTAGE MINISTER’S VIEW OF PROBLEM NEED FOR CO-OPERATION (Special to Daily Times) WELLINGTON, Nov. 3. A statement that at the moment there were 240 vacancies for experienced farm labour in the North Island which the department did not have men to fill, and that in the South Island there was a surplus of 65 experienced farm workers available, was made by the Minister of Labour (Mr P. C. Webb) when replying to representations which a deputation from the New Zealand Farmers’ Union made to him. Of the North Island vacancies, the Minister said, 73 were from Hamilton, and about 38 from Whangarei. He said he agreed that the problem was a vexed one and not easily grappled with. The Dominion president of the union (Mr W. W. Mulholland): I think the relation of the cost of labour to the return is a big factor. The Minister said that last year over 600 farmers had availed themselves of the subsidy of £1 a week to keep labour on. Young men wanted some permanency in their employment. The demand was for young labour, and the great bulk of it was under 21 years of age.

Public Works Policy

Mr Webb said he would like to get a list of all those farm workers who were said to have gone on to public works. If a farm worker was employed on public works, it was because there was no farm work available for him. The department had transferred from Scheme 13 and public works over 3500 men to farm clearing and drainage under Scheme 48, and the Government was paying 75 per cent, of the cost The farmers seemed to be satisfied and the workers had not complained. He would want 2200 more men to go on to farms under that scheme. So far as the employment of boys on farms was concerned, the accommodation and food in some instances were not what they ought to be. He thought it was up to the Farmers’ Union to help the Government in that. Other Ministers who received the deputation were the Minister of Finance (Mr W. Nash), the Minister of Agriculture (Mr W. Lee Martin), and the Minister of Lands (Mr F. Langstone). Mr Lee Martin said he was certain that in some of the districts there was a much better feeling than had been indicated by some of the remarks of Mr Mulholland. Relations With State “Mr Mulholland knows that on every occasion I have sought his advice and endeavoured _ to work out with him problems which have faced us,” Mr Lee Martin said. “It seems to. me that if we could get more cooperation we would get along infinitely better than we are doing to-day. It does hurt me,to read some of the statements that are being made, particularly in the north, with regard to what the Government and the department are doing in connection with farm problems. I know the difficulties and I want to help to overcome them.’’ Mr Langstone said that instead of a spirit of antagonism being aroused by anybody the relationship between the State and all other interests should be one of co-partnership.