VILLAGE CRAFTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19828, 30 April 1927, Page 20 (Supplement)

VILLAGE CRAFTS

STEEP DECLINE DEARTH O TT.T.KD HANDS. How a new generation of rural wor- 1 kers is growing up minus the skilled craftsmen * i the old village community is disclose*' .• a White I’aper which has just been issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, states an English exchange. It is the report for last year of proceedings under the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act. In the section dealing with the state of employment in the agricultural industry, comment *s made on a dearth of skilled farm workers and the decline almost to extinction of the crafts of the braeksmith and wheelwright, is lamented. The report says:— From a fairly comprehensive survey of reports on the state of employment in agriculture in England and Wales, it may be said that little unemployment appears t-o exist at the present time amongst regular farm hands, but that the shortage of skilled workers is becoming more pronounced. The num her of general farm hands available appears to be about equal to the demand. Naturally slight variations oc-

cur from time to time in particular ’ areas, but they lare not great enough to disturb the balance to any appreciable . I extent. On the other hand, skill in the 1 carrying out of the various operations ! on the farm is one of the most import- | : ant factors contributing to good farm- I ; ing. and it is clear that in many dis-i trirts skilled workers lare becoming less j ' common. As the older workmen who 1 were experts on such varying processes j jas hedging, ditching, thatching, rick-1 i binding, etc., die off their places arc i 1 more and more difficult to fill. A good i • deal has been done in the past by 10-1 cal authorities, with aid from the Ministry, in the way of providing facilities! for instruction in these subjects. Sue-1 5 cess must depend upon the amount cf active sympathy given by farmers and I i ftirm workers. * “ Another aspect, and one which received considerable prominence during | the past twelve months, is the shortagei i of skilled rural craftsmen. Village ■ trades such as that of the blacksmith, metal worker, bookbinder, wheelwright etc., which many years ago were in a - flourishing condition hlave declined al- * most to the point of extinction. Pro ■ bably the more gen urn I use of maehin- - ery for mass prod - f articles at cheap rates had I ,v respon- : sible for the state <»j affairs-. The Rural Industries Bureau and the Na- * tional Council for Social Service are ■' doing much to help these old-time in- ‘ dust ties to regain some of their lost .. importance, and the Ministry is co-op- ! orating by equipping and sending on [ tour two blacksmith’s demonstration ■ vans for use in groups of counties. i “Reports have from time to lime been received to the effect that the ( young men of the villages are not tak- ' ing up employment on the land, but it is not safe to accept these reports as evidence that the number of rural lads who do not take up agriculture is not sufficient, to make good the normal wastage in the general body of agricultural workers. There is no doubt, however, that there is a considerable opening for increased training of lads in country districts so as to enable them to become skilled agricultural workers.” It is added that so far as minimum rates (exclusive of any renumeration in kind) are concerned the average weekly pay of the ordinary adult male worker was 31s Bd. I Corns are a curse. Progaudra a | blessing, 1/6.