The Dominion FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 1015, the lure of the cities

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2497, 25 June 1915, Page 6

The Dominion FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 1015, the lure of the cities

The labour problem is just now receiving the anxious attention of the farmers of New Zealand. It was discussed at the National Dairy Conference yesterday in a carefully-thought-out paper by Mr. JV. D. Hunt, of Invcrcargill, who grapples with the extremely difficult problem of checking the drift of the country population to the towns. This process of rural depopulation is not an evil peculiar to New Zealand. Ivl'any other countries are suffering from the same complaint. Prior to the outbreak of the war it was receiving the consideration of British politicians and social reformers, and measures were being devised with the object of counteracting the lure of the cities by making the lot of tha_ agricultural labourer more attractive. For some years past the proportion of the population of New Zealand living in the country districts has been declining. In the year 1881 the country population numbered 291,238, as against 194,981" living in the boroughs. The numerical superiority of the countics gradually dwindled away until the position became Reversed. The boroughs now contain the majority of the people. The census of 1911 revealed the fact that the total borough population was 505,598, as compared with 496,799 for the counties. The percentage changes during the pastthirty years are shown iu the following table:—

Counties. Boroughs. 1881 • 59.44 39.80 1886 56.58 42.16 1891 56.18 43.11 1896 55.69 43.69 1901 54.01 45.32 1906 51.63 47.79 1911 49.26 50.14 Mr. Hunt is of opinion that the drift from country to town has been maintained since 1911, in spite of the fact that a good deal has been done to lessen the drawbacks and increase the comforts of rural life. Every year the country districts are becoming less isolated. Railway extension, better roads, the advent of the motor-car and the motor-cyclo, additional postal and telegraph facilities have done much to brighten the lives of the settlers. The sense of loneliness is not so pronounced as it was ten or fifteen years ago, and even the inhabitants of the back-).tucks are being kept in more or 'ess regular touch with civilisation, though much remains to be done for the betterment. of their lot. The educational authorities are also making efforts to meet the special needs of people on the land. But in spite of improved conditions the exodus still goes on. The result is a scarcity of farm labour, which has been greatly accentuated since the outbreak of wa.r by the enlistment of so many of the best type of agricultural workers. The measures which are being taken by the Government, the education boards, and the Board of Agriculture witn the object of placing the people on the land and keeping them there may reasonably lie expected to produce good results in the course of time. Recent English statistics indicate that the problem of rural depopulation is not insoluble. The latest figures show that the exodus is being checked. »This is jjroved ijy the following table giving the number of males employed in England and Wales as farmers, farm labourers, etc., for the ten year, periods since 1881: — 1881 1,128,357 1891 1,143,967 1901 023,644 1911 571,708 The .figures for 1911 show an increase over those for 1901, but comparison with 1891 reveals a very serious drop. In 1881) 67.9 per cent of the population of England and Wales lived in urban and 32.1 per cent, in rural districts. Ever since then the rural percentage has been falling. These are the figures;— Urban Enral. 1881 * 67.9 32.1 1891 72.0 28.0 1901 77.0 23.0 1911 78.1 21.9 The drift to the cities and to the Overseas Dominions is now being counteracted by improving the lot of the English farm labourer both as regards wages and conditions of life. This means that the Dominions will probably find it increasingly difficult to make good their shortage of farm workers by means of immigration. It is, therefore, o£ the greatest importance that effective measures should be taken to maintain a proper balance between the town and country populations. In New Zealand tho towns are undoubtedly getting more than their share, while scarcity of labour has become a chronic complaint in the rural districts. What is the remedy for this unsatisfactory state of affairs 1 Mr. Hunt is of opinion that "the cause of the whole trouble is the entire absence of accommodation for married employees on the great majority of our farms." He contends that the result is that children are often regarded as "encumbrances," and the average farm worker is faced with the prospect of losing his employment if he gets married and has a family. The point raised by Mr. Hunt certainly deserves attention, for it lias important bearing both on the farm labour problem and also on the much larger problem of checking the tendency of people who have been born and bred in the country to lonk to (lie cities for a career in life. The "whole trouble" will not, however, be remedied by increasing the accommodation for married couples. The problem is not quite so simple as this. A.s a matter of fact, it is no f?»tv«rriKly HIUM-Fl'. u .fcbft (mwxte . is. to .«•

urease as rapidly as it should, the young people must be given every possible cluincc of making homes for themselves, (ravelling facilities must he improved, and more must be done in the way of rural education. Tli?se tilings must be taken into account as well as better provision for the needs of married employees, it is, nevertheless, very useful to know that the remedy proposed by Mr. Hunt has given satisfaction in instances which havo come underpins own observation, and his suggestions deserve the consideration of the agricu Itnra I eoimii un i ty.