SHORTAGE OF LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2995, 5 February 1917, Page 8

SHORTAGE OF LABOUR

i • .• i ' •, ' OPERATION OF THE BALLOT OPINIONS OF. OTAGO'>ARMERS. Sir. J. Begg (president of tlie executive of the : New _ Zealand farmers' Union, Otago Provincial Council) made ,in important summing up of the findings 'of his. executive regarding the questions of exemptions by the Military Appeal Boards at a meeting of the union at Dunedin on Wednesday afternoon (states tlio "Otago Daily Times"). He also touched on one or two other matters of particular interest to the farming community at the present time. Mr. Begg said that there was an undoubted shortage of rural labour just now, despite what they read in the newspapers on.the point, and.also the statements made' by labour agents. Competent men required to drive teams were, in fact, almost ''unprocurable. The question of labour necessary ior harvesting- promised to be very serious, here, ' but; unfortunately, the dry weather experienced during the season had itself almost settled the question. In the districts represented by men on their executive the harvesting could be managed all right this season; the

■ ' ,v" * I crops having been reduced to such an extent by the climatic conditions which had prevailed. Continuing, the president said his executive was strongly of opinion that the inspection in existence for weeds and rabbits might very well be abolished during the course of the war. In this connection there had been a number of prosecutions lately that looked extremely like persecutions. One of their branches—the Greenfield branch—took very strong exception to a regent prosecution of one of their ; members for not keeping down rabbits. ' It was a case of great hardship, for the simple reason that the member prose- ' cuted could not get the labour. An- ° other case where men had been fined ' for not keeping down rabbits had occurred at Balclutha, and the Magistrate, in fining the men, had stated • that ho had no sympathy with the farmers, who were making great profits 3 as the result of the war. Why the • Magistrate should have mixed up rab- ? bits with war profits, said the speaker, was not quite clear. The inspection of H weeds and rabbits had never since its " inception brought about any dimimi- ■ tion in these pests. 5 A member: Hear, hear; and never • will. [ "This is my personal opinion," went 5 ; on Mr. Begg, "after an experience of • a lifetime in the business." In regard to the Military Appeal Boards, ' the executive felt that the boards were j working under a disadvantage, as the [ evidence given them was not as coms plete as it might be. They felt that . a small committee of representative and independent men might be set-up in each district—men who would know the circumstances, otSill those called up , under the ballot, and, the members of such committees could give evidence as to the degree of necessity of those balloted men remaining in the country. There were small farmers who could not find suitable substitutes to work their holdings—they were a numerous body—and they were the subject of great hardship in having to leave. It . should not be forgotten', too, that the country was being put to great loss in the cases of men who owned and lived on their farms being taken away. Such men, in the ordinary course of events, would do more -work than two or three uninterested men who might be called m to work such farms. .On the other hand, he (the speaker) knew of cases of men who had been exempted because .they had put forward plausible stories —stories which should not have been listened to for a moment, and no committee of farmers, -such as he had suggested, would have supported them in their plea. They knew, however, that if production was to be maintained ploughmen and horsemen should be exempted generally. "It took a long time to learn to work horses properly, and farming machinery was now very intricate, and was becoming more intricate every day. They noticed with surprise that shearers and wool-classers, as a class, were t being exempted. Their however, did not considersuch exemptions were at all necessary. The executive was also of opinion that the holding of all Territorial camps should be suspended during the war, consequent on the shortage of labour.