THE SCARCITY OP FARM LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2950, 9 December 1916, Page 8

THE SCARCITY OP FARM LABOUR

If the Government has taken any steps in the direction of organising labour to meet the increasing shortage in the country districts, it would be. well advised to make the fact known. At tho present time there is a very marked shortage of farm labour, and great difficulty is being experienced by many farmers in carrying on efficiently. That there would be a scarcity of farm workers everyone who paid any attention at. all to tho recruitihg lists foresaw, and many months ago it was urged by Sir' James Wilson, President of the Farmers' Union, and others, that an organised effort should be made to secure the necessary workers. Yet so far as is known, littlo or nothing has been done in this vitally important matter. The question is not ono for the farmers to deal with; it is a national one. Not only the country's prosperity, but its capacity to assist in the prosecution of the war is governed by tho output of its primary producers. If the product of our farms falls of, not only will our financial strength be weakened, and our military effort correspondingly restricted, but the supply of foodstuffs and of wool to Britain and her Allies will be curtailed, This is a matter of such seriousness that it is surprising it has not received more active attention long ere this. It- is ossentially one of the things-in-which we should have looked ahead, and should still do so. The chairman of the Bank of New Zealand, in his speech at tho meeting of shareholders yesterday, commented on the fact that the area under crop .in ; the Dominion this year had been restricted, owing, to some extent, to tho difficulty that is being experienced iri obtaining the necessary labour to cultivate the land" and harvest the crops. This is only one direction in which the shortage is being felt on the farms of the _ Th<s dairyfarmer is shorWianded, and farm work of all descriptions is going -back for want of labour. It will not take very lorjg for this to have a serious effect, not only on the farmer but on the welfare of the whole country. In England, organised efforts have been made, and - have been attended with considerable success, to meet tho shortage.- Old men boys, women, discharged soldiers have all been utilised in various branches of farm work, and the same thing. ; can be done here if the matter is approached in the proper way. A certain number of skilled Tarm workers must bo kept in tho country—they can serve the national interest better in their ordinary occupations than in the fighting lines —and all tho assistance possible must be given them from the ranks of those unable 'to fight and engaged in occupations of less importance to the national interests. There is no reason why men medically unfit for military service who am called up in the ballot should not be called on necessary to servo their country in this way.