OUR NEXT HARVEST

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2517, 19 July 1915, Page 6

OUR NEXT HARVEST

LABOUR SHORTAGE FEARED. According to a State official who.is ill • a position to speak -with authority on the subject, there will bo a considerable shortage of 1 farm labour with which to gather the next harvest. He says there is not the slightest doubt that the farmers fear that ,a shortage will result through the exodus of farm hands to tho war. The country districts have contributed heavily to our expeditionary forces, and so far as he knows the gaps in the ranks have not been filled to any appreciable extent. • So far as the Department of Agriculture knows more men than ever will be needed for the coming hardest, as there is a greater extent of land under crop now than thero was in previous seasons. The official considers that a custom of former years will have to be reverted to —all'hands will have to work longer hours until the harvesting is' done. Some years ago, harvesters used to work while there was light to work by, but latterly their hours have_ been regulated and shortened. . The view taken by the official is that something approaching tho daylight-till-dark system wjll have to be again put into operation if the vast amount , of food and crops is to bo saved to the country. It was pointed out, also, that during the recent agricultural conference mention was made of a scheme for co-operating wit'li tho Public Works Department, which'lias a largo number of men employed on State undertakings. It was indicated 'that it is considered fairly certain , that something on tlieso lines : will have to be done if loss of crops is to be averted, for oven.if all tho other available men work long'hours they may fail to oope with the harvesting task.;