MAORI LABOUR

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 155, 15 September 1941, Page 5

MAORI LABOUR

NO LOCAL SURPLUS REPLY TO AUCKLAND OPINION Insofar as the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua district was concerned, there was little apparent evidence of any surplus Maori labour available for any purpose or emploj r ed in nonessential occupations, stated the Placement Officer at Rotorua, Mr J. McGhone, last week. The statement was made in regard to the views of an Auckland business man which appeared in the "Morning Post" and which advocated the employment of more Maori labour and that of men over 60 years of age as a means of solving" labour jDroblems in the Dominion. The vital industry of sawmilling, carried on to such a large extent In the Roitorua district, said Mr McGlone, relied to a large extent 011 Maori labour. Arrangements had just been completed, also, for the transfer of three inexperienced young Maoris to cheese factory employment. Every factory in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty district, he added, had otn its staff a percentage of native employees, while it was also obvious that farmers in the district relied upon Maori labour to a great extent.. So far as the business man's other statement, regarding men over 60, was concerned, the Placement Ofl'i 4 cer was not prepared to make any comment at the present time. —Post.