LACK OF FARM LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1455, 1 June 1912, Page 6

LACK OF FARM LABOUR.

ACUTE POSITION. IMMIGRATION ADVOCATED. (By Tolegrapu-Special Correspondent.) Christchurcb, May 12. Following Hie lrferonco lo the lack of labour made by Mr. F. 0. Howell in his presidential addross at tho provincial conference of the Farmers' Union, several member? spoke on the scarcity of agricultural labour, and the necessity for encouraging immigration in order'to supply the- need.

Mr. Richard Evans, representing (ho Kaiapni and IVaikari districts, said that this was one of the most important subjects that bad come before the conference. Taking into consideration the fact that harvesting had been an extremely harassing operation this year, owing to the showery weather, it was patent that never during the lost thirty years had. there been such a shortage "of suitable labour for farm work. One of the. principal reasons was that the good men who had saved monev were now taking up land of their own, aiyl it was difficult to find men with sufficient experience to take their places. In his own east* four men nvho had been in his employ for a considerable time—in fome cases for years—had left him, and had drawn sections, and were now farming on their own account. He found, ivhen travelling in Canterbury during the last three mouth?, that there wore scores of six-horse teams lying idle as suitable men could not be got to work them. The result was that the acreage under wheat was far smaller than it would otherwise have been. The only remedy for ithis was the system of immigration which prevailed Jii the 70's. when men who made Hie country worn helped by the Government. A son of his, who \vas in the Old Country, had informed him that there were hundreds of men there who were eager to come to the Dominion, but wero unable to do so without assistance.

Mr. Geo. Sheat (Dunsdandcl) said that he had recently been anproachpd b\- _ a Labour representative, who asserted that men would not go into the country to work because the wages and accommodation offering did not compare favourably with the condition.? obtaining in the cities. This assertion the speaker denied absolutely. A man who could make himself useful about the place and do jobs such as digging notatoes, cutttmr fences, or grubbing gorsn. was paid the 7s. a day. while one able to work n four or six-horse fpani got from 255. to Ms. a wee'." and found. Farm labourers were, in almost every instance, treated as members of their employers' families. Tn his own rase, for instance, his men dnwn nt tbo table with his family. Tie hnd told Mr. Laurcnson Hip other (by that, if MO men were imported, he would guarantee to find them all places on farms within a. week, provided'that they were willing to adopt themselves to loenl conditions. At the present time he had throe houses on his own farm unoccupied, tho rent of which was from ss. In (is. a week. The bulk of the accommodation throughout Canterbury was such that no man could take exception to it. There was a growing tendency to erect cottages on forms for maTwJ vion tn occupy. Mr. W. T. Hill considered that Hie Oovernmcnt should advert'?* move in the Old Country so as to Jet agricultural labourers thorp know of tlio possibilities here. Tlipv should also afford cheaper facilities for coming tn New Zealand, and slmnld umirantap occupation on nrrivnl. JTn maintained that Canterbury alone could absorb .WO men within a wrek. TJw position had nevr been so ncut" as at the present time. He himself had had two teams idle for a fortlifight. If this sort of thing went on farmers would have to stoo jrrowinj whpnt and go in for pastoral • land which did not require so much labour. One of his neighbours, who had advertised for two men without receiving a single ronl.v. ro\3 talking nbotit giving up his nresput farm. i> nd t.iWnjr up an arm of 20 acres irWo lie could do bis own work.

Mr. I. Andrews (Ellesmcre) instanced, in support of th» contentions of the previous sppnWs. the ens? of n local body which called for fen<J<TS for the erection of bnildiniM running,'into over jMO!), and got one tender onlv.

Mr. Howsnn (TClle»mpre) declared tint Hier» were thousands of pounds lost tn the Ellosmere district alorfp. without <rninsr to any other uirt of New Zealand, and one nf his neighbours had lost 2(100 bushels of was from being unable to get ln'mur to handle the crop. The conference unanimously resolved that the Government be urged to offer jrreiit»r inducements to farm labourers nnd domestic servants to emigrate to New Zealand.