FARM LABOUR PROBLEMS

Chronicle (Levin), 7 March 1946, Page 6

FARM LABOUR PROBLEMS

o PIONEERS HAD DIFFICULTIES Problems confronting farm labour ernployers in 1871 — problems that ' in some resxjeets are not unlike those confronting farmers today — are described in an unsigned letter dated July 1, 1871, which 'was found recently in the oitices of the Guardian Trust and Executors' Company of New Zealand, Hawera. The letter appears to be a report giving information eoneerning the progress of the development of Taranaki to someonq outside the province. The supply of farm labour, stated the letter, was about equal to thje demand. However, two years before the supply was greater than the demand which oould be aceounted for by a number of facts. The farmers, finding no outlets for -their crops when grown, because of the isolated position of the settlement in comparison with other eentres of j poxiulation, and because of the absence | of labour accommodation, dispeused to ; a great extent with hired labour by sowiug their farms in grass. Also, farmers in the area, until there were. much greater facilities for the transport of their produce and an increase in the ' settled population, had to be growers of crops 011 a small scale and suilicient only for their own families. i Cropping as a speculation could not |pay-as long as the rate of wages was almost double the English rate, and the : priee obtained for the produce about j lialf the English price, continued the ; writer. These facts tended to bring doivn the wages of labour by' liniiting j the employiueut of iabourers. However, | au exodus of the resultant surqilus labour from Taranaki to the goldlields in the northern and southern portions of the eoioiiy took plaec at onee, thus equalisiug the labour xjosition. "The only remedy for the labour positiou with the jiresent liniited area of settled land would be by alfording inereased facilities for the export of produce and by the introduetion of sueh a body of Iabourers .s would onsure the ianuers the certainty of a sujijily of labour at remunerative rates," continueu the writer. "This seems hardly ieasible; because eveu if iutroduced, J nm unabie to suggest any scheme by vvhieh immigrants eould be retained in the settlement permauently. On the olher hand by throwing open the coniiscated hinds, the labour iields weuld be greatly extendcd and work would be found for a large body of immi- ' grants. ' '

; There was a slight demand for farm female servants, especially for those j w' 0 were good dairy hands. The numI ber oi' meehanies and Iabourers was sufi lieient for all the wants of 'the com- ! munity. In the event of large publie | works being started in the distriet -in j eonueetion with the "Immigration and j PubJic Works Act" their numbers I would have to be increased largely, the I writer eonsidered. j A steady demaud for female domestic servants was apparent m tiie province. There was, however, 110 demand for the einployment of inarried eouples. Eingle meu were jiaid at the rate of 4s to 5s a day and the weekly rate for singie men was from 15s to £1 with keep.