SHORTAGE OF FARM LABOUR.

Southland Times, Issue 22730, 5 November 1935, Page 8

SHORTAGE OF FARM LABOUR.

To the Editor. Sir,—The shortage of farm labour in Southland and throughout New Zealand at the present time is so serious that it behoves every person who has a love for his country to give the matter serious consideration. Farmers have had the driest spring and worst shortage of feed on record, with a heavy mortality in sheep, and cattle and even horses. With adequate labour I know personally that much of this loss could have been avoided. A farmer can be a fool once or twice, but it is a senseless matter to be a fool all the time. For the coming winter and spring the farmers were determined to have adequate feed supplies and now comes this shortage of labour. Who is to blame? The people themselves for not making the Government and the Labour Department take a mighty big pull. With the present temper of the farming community the Government, with the election so near, is not showing much acumen in allowing the Labour Department to have unemployment inspectors touring the country to see that the farmers are not depriving the unemployment fund down to the last shilling of their legal dues. The Labour Department never seems to worry that they are making a mess of the unemployed problem. The unemployed,' through Government doping for many years are now well dug in—sustenance, Government holidays on full pay and a lot of useless unproductive work. Four and a half million pounds a year is taken out of the taxpayer and industry to keep this going. Was it not Mr Jessep, chairman of the Unemployment Board,’ who said it was lowering the morale of the nation? Tire Government is actually labour starving the farming industry to keep this huge unemployment octopus going. The first duty of any patriotic Government is to stand by the great rawproducing industries and see that they get adequate labour. Any farmer knows if he has been doping a sheep, cow or horse for any length of time, without attempting to get on to its feet, the time shortly arrives when it won’t get on its feet. Just the same with the unemployed. The Government has been doping them so long they now won’t stand on their own feet without Government support. I believe the city of Christchurch is worse in this respect than any other city in New Zealand. Weep not, shades of the old pioneer's who made this country what she is to-day (or was yesterday)!

An eminent American who visited this country said: “God Almighty has given you a great country, but you allow some people to throw a monkey wrench into the wheels of industry.” Can nothing be done to save the situation? I know personally Dunedin can’t supply us with men, they are inquiring of Southland for men. Youths’ wages from 15/- to £1 and found, men’s wages from £1 to £2 10/- a week and found draw a blank. Mind you, Mr Editor, some people don’t know it, but it is the farming community which pays the men’s wage tax. If there was no wage tax, labour would not expect so high a wage. Would it not be better, Sir, if we gave charge of this sorry business to four good Southland men like Messrs Hargest and Rice with their military business and organizing abilities and Messrs A. S. Holms and T. E. Paterson to represent the farming community? These strong men would soon make a vast improvement in matters, draft men and women who want wor’: into industries that are starving for labour. It makes me sick to read the speeches of blithering political candidates who want a progressive dud railway policy, a forward public works policy that in many instances deprives industry of good men and the taxpayer of his money. I don’t care what party is in power, if they rob industry of good men, compete against private enterprise, they generally make a mess of things. We are now on the eve of another general election. It gives us food for serious thought. We have a huge Civil Service vote, a large military, widow and old age pension vote, a huge unemployed vote (drawing until recently 4A million pounds from the toilers of this country). Can this huge vote dominate the politics of this country and fix salaries, pensions and unemployment remuneration? Is Parliamentary or representative Government at stake? Remember the British Commonwealth of Nations is the last stronghold of Democracy. Remember there are still a mighty lot of people in this country who are bred right, sons and daughters of the old pioneers, with a good sprinkling of Anzac blood in them that hold their heads up and fight their own individual battles as their forbears did. Through self-denial they might have saved something for a rainy day and now it is taxed off them to support the non-workers. These men and women are the bulwark of the nation, the salt of the earth. We don’t want Hitlerism or Fascism in this country, but I would issue a solemn warning to the future Government whether National, Democratic or Labour, that the interest and wishes of this combination of people will have to be more respected in the future than it has been in the past.—l am, etc., “SOUTHLAND FARMER.”