FARM LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3025, 12 March 1917, Page 6

FARM LABOUR

ALLEGATIONS OF SHORTAGE QUESTIONED

Answering the objection frequently raised by farmers when before Military Service Boards that labour cannot now be obtained, Mr. J. S. Evans, chairman of the First Canterbury Military Service Board, is Reported to haver said at Ashburton on Tuesday that hei know a man, a personal friend, who was a thoroughly competent farmer. There could bo no question.of his ability, and he had retired from his Southland firm with a comfortable fortune. His ago was fifty-six years, and being: too old to go to flic front, but wishing; to do what he could, he had patriotically offered his services, free of chargo, to any farmer called up in the ballot, or v.iTo wished to enlist. He had travelled from Invercargill to Cfliristcmirch. interviewing farmers and leading land 1 , agentsfbut could not find anybody to. accept his services. Ho had been in-. during the past week, but nil Tits efforts' to, find work had been fruitless. He was a capable ploughman, and was not only willing to work himself, but would take his two sons with him, both being capable ploughmen Unt he simplv could not get an-, engagement. Another instance was; that of a Canterbury farmer who hadi advertised for a married ploughman, and had received twenty-four replies.. Mr Evans concluded by saying that ic. was all humbug for farmers .to say that labour could not be obtained. The comments of Mr. Evans were referred to in Christohurcli on Wednesday at a meeting of Mr. J. A. FwrtH*. Canterbury member of the Board of Efficiency, with North Canterbury farmerMr D .Tones said that the twenty or more applications received by one farmer in answer to an advertisement for amarried ploughman wero ■ doubtless' from men already in employment but, seeking higher wages. .If the chairman of th» Military Service Board was judging of the labour simply from a: statement by a "man in the street it was an extraordinary attitude to take'

Another farmer said that in his district men were shifting from place to nlace, so as to get more money, labour was really scarce He knew tf manv idle teams; one had been idle foi more than sis months The owner haa spent several days in Chnstchurch trying to cet men. but without success. Mr R 0. Dixon protested against Australian shearers and farm hands coming to New Zealand to take the jobs of the New Zealand men called up in the ballot. , Regarding the employment on farms of men over military age, one farmer said that it was useless to send middleaged men to learn farming. JV* town industry would take middle-aged: men to teach them the trade, x Mr. Frostick said that in two hours he would guarantee to show the speaker fifty men of middle age who had been employed at Cliristchurcb. factories, and within sis months liatt learnt what trade unions said could not be learnt in less.than five years study.