CRISIS DEVELOPING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 82, 1 November 1939, Page 5

CRISIS DEVELOPING

VIEWS OF MR DOIDGE, M.P« ( FARMERS AND POLITICS "ft is surely crass stupidity for the Minister ot Labour to plan em- ! ployment for 5000 men,, clearing new farm land, when labour is not available for the farm lands we already possess," said Mr F. W. Doidge, M.P., when addressing a National Party meeting at Tauranga last Monday.

"Throughout this electorate," continued Mr Doidge, "young farmers? have left the land to take up arms in the Dominion's military forces. And while that is happening ablebodied men are either idling on sustenance, or are to be employed clearing scrub land. In either the men so maintained will receive higher financial reward than is given to the men who will fight to protect them. "I can quote innumerable cases where farmers, are crying out for farm labour. At Otakiri there is a farmer who with the aid of a child, milks 85 cows. He has advertised withoni. Success in Auckland, Hamilton and Rotorua. He has applied to the placement officers at Rotoruat and WhakatanS. He has telegraphed to the Hon. Mr Webb, pleading for help., and offering a good home and a wage of £3 per week. The irony of this case is that a mile away the Lands Department is employing young farmers to cut scrub at a far better return than this farmer is able to pay. "Similarly at Paengaroa a farmer, in urgent need of help, has not only applied locally, but has, without avail, sought men through the placement officer in Auckland, and through three Auckland registry offices . "The crux of the trouble is that the farmer in search of labour cannot compete with the Government departments, either in the matt*|: of hours or wages.

"Co-incident with these troubles the farmer faces the spectre of ris-» ing costs. He knows that the Government, by fixing prices, and refusing to fix costs, is loading the dice against him; that if the process continues, he will be submerged.

"A crisis is fast developing," added the speaker, "and the Government seems blind to its approach. Throughout the province farmers talk of open revolt. As a member of Parliament it is my duty to pliead with the farmer to seek redress by constitutional methods. But the position is one of grave anxiety, and the Government is crazy if it does not realise that its present policy is infuriating the farmer beyond en-

durance."