FARM WORKERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25852, 24 May 1945, Page 4

FARM WORKERS

RECENT CALL FOR SERVICE

RESENTMENT EXPRESSED (P.A.) AUCKLAND, May 23. Resentment of the recent call-up of farm workers for military service was expressed at the annual provincial conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union to-day. The chairman, Mr H. M. Rushworth, said if the men went there would be a production drop of at least 25 per cent. “No previous action has knocked production so badly as this call-up has done.” said Mr W. W. Mulholland, the Dominion president. No explanation of the necessity of the call-up had been given, and the farmers had not been communicated with to inform them that there was a real need for such a great sacrifice to be made. If there was a vital need for men to be taken, the farmers would do their best without them. Unfortunately, they were not satisfied with that position in the light of the lack of information on the subject. From “ inside ” knowledge it appeared that there had been a lack of consideration of the matter before the instructions were issued, Mr Mulholland said. He had done everything possible to get the Government to reconsider the position, and he was not satisfied that such an important question had received the consideration it merited. , A resolution was carried drawing the Government’s attention to the effect that the call-up would have on the primary producing industry.

THE MAN-POWER HANDICAP

MEAT BOARD’S REPRESENTATIONS The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board at its recent meeting discussed at length the man-power position on farms in relation to the necessity for maintaining food supplies to Britain. It decided to communicate its views to the Acting Prime Minister (Mr Nash) and also to the Minister of Agriculture and Marketing (Mr Roberts) and the Minister of Industrial Man-power (Mr McLagan). While repeating its assurance of the desire of farmers to produce to the utmost to help their kith and kin in .the Old Country, the board was impelled to express its conviction that the present uncertain position of the labour supply was having a serious effect on the prospects of meat production in the future. Doubt was expressed by members as to the possibility of the position being relieved by men returning from overseas, because there was no certainty that they would readily return to farm work in face of the easier life and the greater companionship to be enjoyed in the towns.

“To the board and the meat producers,” stated the letter sent to the Government, “it does not seem to make sense that, at this stage of the war, men who have been retained right up to the present because of their essentiality, should now be withdrawn from farms, when the need for more food is greater than ever.” At its previous meeting the board made representations to the Government to maintain the skilled staffs of the export freezing works, pointing out that it would be useless to make more stock available for the export trade if it could not be prepared for shipment. The result of these representations was the postponement of calling up of certain classes of freezing works’ employees. and_ as this occurred before the victorious conclusion of the campaign in Italy, the board expressed the opinion that the problem which then faced the Government in respect to replacements for the division was now less acute. In its latest communication to the Government, the board urged that there should be an early announcement of policy in regard to man-power on farms and its relationship to food production for the Old Country, so that farmers could plan their operations for the forthcoming season. Reports on the shipping and cool storage position submitted to the meeting indicated the desire of the British authorities to lift every available ton of New Zealand meat.