LABOUR IN WAR TIME

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 270, 3 August 1918, Page 3

LABOUR IN WAR TIME

POSITION SAID TO BE CRITICAL

GOVERNMENT URGED TO ACT

Organisation of labour was urged by Mr. H. D. Vavasour, of Marlborougli, at the Dominion Conference ot the Farm ers' Union yesterday. Mr. Vavasour moved: " That t!ie Government should lie strongly urged to take proper steps to organise the labour of the country, and discriminate in conscripting labour from 'essential industries. Mr. Vavasour said that he was not approaching tho subjoct from any selfish motive, but with the intention of doing what was best for the country and tisi-s Empire. The Government had taken no steps to organise the iabour of cue conntry, and it should do so. The Government should not send one move man away from agricultural and pastoral work. The number of labourers employed in agricultural labour (of military age) in 11)11 was about 28,700. Of these, about 13,000 had been onli.-ied, Iravingf about 15,700. The_ Minister of Agriculture had said in Christchurch that it was necessary for the country to grow 21>9,0GC acres of wheat, and he assured tl.e meeting ho addressed that exemption would be given to agriculturists as long as thty were engaged in wheat-growing. This showed that tho Minister had little or no conception of the needs of farming. Sir James AU-eu had said, that it was absolutely necessary that the production of the country should be kept up to its utmost limit, and he wished especially to tell the farmers that they wero doing as much for the Empire by maintaining production as if they were in the firingline, and not to have any «cn!inieiifii* ideas re asking for exemptions. As to exempting' men for wheatgrowing only, he would like to ask: "How are we co grow wheat unless we grow oats to feed the horses?" The Government of the country had no grasp of the position. Tho country had been going down in production liy leaps and bounds. Ho had prophesied eighteen months ago that the production of New Zealand would go down by half, and it had done so. He was speaking particularly of farm produce, and if the present drift were allowed tlieTe would be an even more serious drop. The Government said: "Let the farmers apply for exemption \" But the applications wore nnt being made, and the farm labourers could not be got to agree to the suggestion. The only thing for the Government to do was to take the bull by the horns and give leave io the ran so long as they engaged in agricultural imrsuits. If this were not done, nothing but disaster could come to the farming industry and to tho country. Where could New Zealand get the money to pay tnxes without full production? ITe was moving in the matter not out of a spirit of hostility to the Ministry, bnt purely in (he interests of the country. Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) expressed a hope that the motion would be carried. The position was critical. Mr. Vnvaaour's motion was carried. There was only one one dissentient voice.