PRIMARY PRODUCTION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 142, 3 April 1940, Page 5

PRIMARY PRODUCTION

DISTRICT COUNCIL MEETS WAIMANA DEPUTATION j ATTENDS The Bay of Plenty Primary Production District Council met on Monday. In the absence of Mr R"., Ruddickj Mr W. R. Boon presided over Messrs W. A. Gault, N. J. C. Macdonald, J. L. Burnett,, H. S. Holmes, H. C. McCready, W. Church and C. R. Taylor (Department of Agriculture), acting-secretary. A deputation of Waimana settlers waited on the Council to ask its support for a scheme formulated to provide the Waimana district with a camp from which labour could be drawn. The deputation was introduced by Mr Burnett. Mr J. Mitchell,, who was supported by Messrs G. Hewitt and T. Wardlaw, said that farmers of the district, at a meeting held recently, had thought it possible to establish a camp at Waimana, on which they could draw for labour for their farms. The men could live in tents or hutments and it was proposed that they should receive the standard Public Works rate of pay. The meeting had passed a resolution to the effect that in view of the Government's appeal to increase production, it was of the opinion that the object could be achieved ■with more men on land in production. If the Government would guarantee a subsidy to the camp the settlers would form a group and ensure that the men were employed for the whole year round. Mr Mitchell said the deputation considered that if the Primary Production Council would recommend to the National Council! the establishment of the camp, it would be of great assistance. There were many points raised in the ensuing discussion but the Covin

cil was strongly of the opinion that the suggested scheme was a golden opportunity to increase production and at the same time to solve to some extent the shortage of farm labour. The latter aspect had been discussed at some length earlier in the meeting and Mr C. R. Taylor observed that the Waimana case answered the labour question. Mr Church asked that his previous motion in this connection be rescinded as the petition of the Waimana settlers constituted concrete evidence of the existence of a labour shortage and he moved that this fact be recorded in answer to the National Council's question. The motion was carried.