SEASONAL LABOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25674, 24 October 1944, Page 3

SEASONAL LABOUR

DOMINION’S PROBLEM BROAD FLUCTUATIONS The rise and fall of industrial activity in farming, food-processing, and related industries constitutes one of New Zealand’s greatest problems, states the report of the National Service Department for the year ended March 31, 1944. The freezing works employ only 4500 hands in a normal October, but by the end of January this figure rises to'over 12,000 and then falls slowly back to 8000 in June, dropping suddenly in July, and then rising slowly back to the October figure. In the farming industries the season for haymaking, fruit-picking, and harvesting of crops each year brings demands for upward of 12,000 additional hands, while vegetable production, fruit canning, and other seasonal industries all rise simultaneously to their peak.. Vegetable production on a really large scale and dehydration of meat and vegetables are new developments which have set up both permanent ana recurring demands for seasonal labour. In October it was estimated that 300 permanent workers were needed for the army vegetable production projects, while the seasonal demand, superimposed on the permanent requirement. was estimated to rise from 300 in November to 1500 in January and thereafter to fall again. Food canning is another newly-expanded industry. the seasonal demand in this case rising to a peak of 700 workers in March.

In all approximately 17,000 men were initially selected for service under the army scheme, by which short term territorial training was converted into a collective farming enterprise. When all appeals were disposed of it was found that about 13,000 would be available for service if required and some 6000 of these were actually used by the army, together with 1900 other mobilised men drawn from army camps. -Some hundreds were also used for short-term service in the freezing works.

There were 7000 farm workers serving with the Middle East forces and 430 U with the Pacific Division, states the report. The air force and navy probably accounted for some 5000 between them. Allowing for 3000 casualties and a few hundreds for rehabilitation cases not yet returned to industry, it may be assumed that the farming industries have contributed a total of around 20,000 men to the armed forces, or about one-eighth of pre-war labour force. Apart from this there was evidence of a small-scale but persistent drift from farming to other occupations.