Nelson Producers Engage Labour Through The Department

Wanganui Chronicle, 14 April 1949, Page 5

Nelson Producers Engage Labour Through The Department

NELSON, Last Night. (P.A.) Most primary producers in the Nelson district now engage their seasonal workers through the Department of Labour, and employment this year for 2408 men and women was found by the department for work in raspberry and hop gardens, orchards and tobacco fields. Of these *2317 were brought to Nelson from other centres. The numbers constitute a record for the department, which began this service in the 1941-42 season with a few hundred placements. Workers came from all parts of New Zealand, all the department's 25 offices making a contribution to the pool. Auckland was well represented with 359 men and women, followed by Wellington with 283. Details of the numbers from the chief centres are:--Males: Auckland 28, Wellington 23, Christchurch 30, Dunedin 31. Invercargill 17, Gisborne 15, New Plymouth 13, Nelson 218. Females: Auckland 331. Wellington 260, Christchurch 187, Dunedin 90. Invercargill 67, Gisborne 58. New Plymouth 77, Nelson 185. A surprising number of women from other countries have worked in Nelson during the harvesting .season. They have come from Canada, the Dutch East Indies, the United States, and Australia. Most have been making a working tour of New Zealand and have stayed in the district only five or six weeks, but others have remained for the whole season, transferring from hop picking to tobacco or orchard work.