SHORTAGE OF FARM LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3035, 23 March 1917, Page 8

SHORTAGE OF FARM LABOUR

' CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRO- - • - - • Correspondent. Napier, March 22. "" The short ago of farm labour was the 'subject of a discussiou at to-day's sitting of the Napier Chamber of Cgnimeroe, when tho Hon. J. D. Ormonil ■ said that owin<; to tho scarcity of skill- . ;ed labour for agricultural purposes, it iwas rapidly becoming impossible for ; ;farmerß-to carry out'the production cf .' those expbrta upon which tho Army at 'Home was so dependent. Labour of 'this'kind ought not, he said, to be 'taken for Reinforcements. He moved: this chamber desires to call the (attention of the Government to the .serious interference with the production of exports, especially food supplies, ur- - gently required by the Army and peo- ; .pie of Great Britain. Owing to tho. loss of a large proportion of the skilled labour heretofore employed in agricultural pursuits, and which is still con- " tinning. . So great is the want of this .class of labour that a serious dimiini,'tion must take place in our exports. IWe beg to submit for the considera- ; tion of tho Government tliat the Im- : .perial Government so fully recognises . 'tho importance of providing skilled la- - hour for the production of food supplies 'that it is declared to be more important .than sending men to tho front, We ' -. .earnestly hope that the Government ■ will steps to prevent a further di-' minution of the limited supply of such ; labour in this country."