Dutch Labour For Dominion Farmers?

Chronicle (Levin), 1 June 1949, Page 8

Dutch Labour For Dominion Farmers?

Press Association) ,

(Per

WELLINGTON, May"31.

Prospects for New Z^aland farmers seeuring a high type of Dutch labourer, are brighter. Following Australia'3 acceptance of 500 demobilised troops from Indonesia, a cablegram has been •received in Wellington, asking the Dutch Legation if arrangements can be niade for acceptance of a number of these ex-servieemen in the Dominion. It is understood permission will be granted for their entry. The agricultural attache at the Netherlands Legation, Mr II. de Bruin, said to-day that the troops were the piek of the young men of Holland specially selected for their capacity to resisf the rigors of the tropics. Shipping, he added was proving a bottleneck in getting D-utch immigrants to New Zealand but in this ease the Netherlands Government was prepared to provide transport as far as Sydney. It would be desirabie if as many Dutchmen as possible could be drawn " direct from Indonesia, he said. If thev were shipped back to Holland many would wish to eome straight out again to Australia or New Zealand, there being no room left in Holland for its young agricultural workers. The holdtngs would permit no further subdivisions. The Dutch Government was prepared to provide shipping to bring immigrants from Holland as well. Another difdeulty, but one which appeared to be re^ solving itself, was the demand in New Zealand for Dutch farm workers. Inquiries through Federated Farmers had established conclusively that there wa?ample room for them. Dairy factories, too, were interested in men who were slcilled in cheesemaking. A phase of a Dutch worker which, in the opinion of the agricultural attache could be turned to- good aecount in New Zealand, was his experience in reclsrim ing land. Among the schemes which might reeommend themselves was the alloeation of a block of swamp or otherwise unprofitable land, to a body of Dutch workers. When they had brought ' it to the proper degree of potential produetlvity, the block might be spllt up. s£y eent to the men who had done r,he work and 75 per cent to re turned soldiers or others who would profit by working alongside Dutchmen skuled m production under these conditions. i