TRANSFER To FARMS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 203, 23 August 1940, Page 5

TRANSFER To FARMS

STATE EMPLOYEES PROVIDING' ACCOMODATION A survey lias now' Keen - completed of the, workers employed'on Public Works, in the State Forest Service, and by" the Lands and Survey Department in the Rotorua-Taupt> and the Bay of Plenty- district's for the purpose of ascertaining*" what numbers of suitable farm workers are available; It is reported' by the Placement Officer for the- Bay- of Plenty, Mi* L. II: Armstrong; that so far 43 men have been allocated to farm positions. This is- approximate-: ly half the number classified' as suitable for farm work, following the survey. Taking Older- Men; It was explained' by the Placement Officer that many- of the men previously engaged' in these deptirtments had" already enlisted and that - of those left, r t great" number were .. past middle age and' would" not learn a new occupation midiiTy. There was, however, a greater willingness amongst the farmers now than there had been some time ago to take older men, while the farmers were alsot prepared to take unskilled men, having realised that it was almost impossible at the present time to find skilled" farm workers out of employment. I'n fact, there were far mom applications for unskilled than f6i" experienced workers. Since the middle of May, stated Mr Armstrong, there had been 7-J- . farm workers placed throughout the - district. The demand had been fairly- constant this winter, probably* because the State subsidy scheme was coming in earlier. At this time last year there had been only 23 applications for labour, Avhereas at present there were 43.

Accommodation Provision.

Further assistance throughput the . Bay of Plenty was available through the transfer of a number of workers from the' South Island!, where the demand was not so great. The necessity for farmers to apply to the State Advances Corporation for assistance in providing accom- • modation for single or married farm workers was stressed by the Placet ment Officer. Lack of accommodation seemed, to be one of the chip/ factors preventing married men, of whom there Avere more than single men available, from going on farms. ' • There had already been a number of applications from the Bay of < Plenty, but as these Avent through the State Advances Corporation in Hamilton there was 110 veeord of the number, . ...