LABOUR FOR HARVESTING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 13, 8 October 1943, Page 5

LABOUR FOR HARVESTING

CAMPS TO BE SET UP

In' order that arrangements may be -made to organise territorial camps, so that the personnel can be. made available for the harvesting of hay and ensilage, the Primary Production Council have been asked by the authorities to submit an estimate of the assistance required for this district.

The camps are to be mobile and set up in centres. The men will be directed from there in gangs to visit farms in turn, they will be mostly inexperienced farm workers.

The army will be responsible for the feeding and the transport of the men to their work,, also they Avill 'furnish time sheets covering the man-hours worked, 011 each farm to tha Department, of Agriculture. They will charge the farmer for the work performed at award rates where these apply, or at 2/G per hour for general harvesting.

It is not. f>xpeeled, that this labour is to undertake the wllole of the harvesting, but rather to supplement tiie existing labour available in the district. For some time past there has been a general complaint of labour shortage, so this is an opportunity where some relief may be obtained for seasonal work. Farmers are requested to consult at once the local committeemen of tlie Primary Production Council and give some indication of what help and period they would require assistance. If advantage is not taken of this scheme, then it may be surmised, that, the labour position on farms is not so acute as, it is supposed to be.