PLIGHT OF FARMING INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 190, 8 May 1940, Page 11

PLIGHT OF FARMING INDUSTRY

Complaint About Labour Shortage GOVERNMENT ACTION WANTED Dominion Special Service. DUNEDIN, May 7. The serious plight of farming industries in Otago as the result of the enlistment of farmers’ sous and farm workers was emphasized at a meeting of the Otago Provincial Council of the Farmers’ Union today by Air. S. Sim, Crookston, who said Hint all over the province today there were middle-agec and ageing men, many of them soldiers in the last war. who could not carry on their farms single-handed and could not get competent men, because some of Hie best farm workers had gone into camp. 'The prospect for farm production in the coming season, he said, was gloomy, and he asked the council to urge the Government to release men from nonessential public works to till vacancies that had been created. Air. Sim said he (lid not think there should "be any exempted industries in connexion with war service. All should be on the same footing, but something should be done to make up the deficiency caused by enlistment. Farmers were being denuded of useful, competent labour and the result could not fall to be damaging to next season’s production. It was one of the most grave problems facing farmers today. The chairman (Air. R. S. Thompson) : More men from the country are enlisting than from the town. That is the trouble. Air. W. Warren (Canterbury) : In the North Island 80 per cent, of enlistments have been men from the country. Continuing, Air. Sim said that they should insist on all non-essential public works being stopped nnd competent farm labourers being released for farm work.

Mr. James Begg: Do you mean released or sacked ? It seems to me tha t you are asking that men who have been farm workers should be thrown out of £5 a week jobs and sent to earn £2/10/-, while others carry on nt £5 a week. Air. Sim’s motion was carried.