POOR OUTLOOK FOR LABOUR ON FARMS

Chronicle (Levin), 20 June 1946, Page 2

POOR OUTLOOK FOR LABOUR ON FARMS

DISTRACTION OF FORTY-HOUR WEEK What possihle inducements can be offered for the retention* of adequate lahour on dairy farms to offset the attraction of high wages, short hours and holidays and other amenities oifered to urhan workers? This .question was asked "by the National Dairy Association in- its annuai report in a discussion on the 40-hour iive-day week. "It i's a diiiicult problem," the report added, pointing out that it was a matter of the greatest coneern for the whole industry. With eertain types of primary production it ipight bc possible, up to a point, to assimilate this principle, but dairying was a seven-dav occupation and no Governmcnt polic? or legislation could make it othervvise. "The industry needs iirst of all to retain the men brouglit up in the country and experienced in farming practices who are at* present driftiug to the cities," the report continued. "In addition, it needs to atract a good type of worker with a lo.ve of the land and the ambition, througli his eil'orts, to eventually possess a holding of his own.

"Unless these objeets ca'n be attained, thc oullook is poor and the furtlicr development in dairying, oi which tliia country is capable, can be written off. On the other liand, we must expect a continuation and even an accentuatiou of the solution already adopted by many harrassed farm owncrs.in reducing tlieir herds to overcome the labour difficulty. Under the .present price structure liigher wagesthan already being paid cannot be oifered, and before this can lie rectiiied, there must be substantial additional provision in the guaranteed price Tfor labour costs. "The long term eifeet of the 40-hour week must inevitably be to reduce dairying, and if carried to a logical conclusion, eventually to extinguish the industry as far as export is coucerned. j Under soaring costs, it is difficult to see how this Dominion can economically compete when the time comes, as it must come when the present food shortage is over, in opeu competition with other producing countries to say nothing of the challenge from butter substitutes that have made sueli marked progress during the Avar years."