SCOTLAND AND HER BEST FARM HANDS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 8, 10 July 1923, Page 21

SCOTLAND AND HER BEST FARM HANDS

THE LABOUR MARKET.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRBSrONDEST.)

LONDON,.IBth; May.

Mr. F. T.-Sandford, Migration Officer in the High Commissioner's Department, has been on a three weeks' visit to Scotland, his object being to secure fai'm labourers; and certain tradesmen for theDominion.. During liis tour he visited the shipping agents in Edinburgh, Kirk-, caldy, Aberdeen, Dundee; Perth, and other small centres," and. spoke to-a large number of intending emigrants. He found the.supply of single farm workmen to be '-limited. Indeed, the farmers, he" says, are becoming alarmed at the da; mands made upon their workmen from the various Dominions., - It is not that they cannot.'spare certain of their eiftr ployees, but the. men who-have the spirit to go overseas are generally their very best men, and: those hvho can- ill be spared. Salaried couples without families are very difficult to.'obtaih.'.. . . -. : ,

Mr. Sandford, was able to obtain quite easily carpenters:,-who were single men, but bricklayers are not to bo found in Scotland.:, as ,most ..of---t-lie building is done in stone,, and -what-little.bricklay: : ing is needed- ie done by the stonemasons. Owing to'tho'loug e'essatid'a of aaiy. extensive building" operations, young., and unmarried stonemasons are not easily to be found, sd'-few..having•••Keen ■.trained since the;beginning, of the war:; ; Farm labourers to'the number of about 120, aad some thirty or forty carpenters have accepted the offer of.a passage-to Now Zesiand, and these ..will bo going oiit during July, August, and September. The supply of. domestic servants is also becoming limited, and iaistreEsos are. beginning to rcKcut Iho' Dominions taking away trained women. Mcro. advertising docs not bring'in-the neebssary supply, and Miss M. E.-Haniop (of the. Immigration Department)^ will be. paying a visit to Scotland at the. beginning of; June for the purpose . of enrolling re- . emits. It may be noted that, while "Nan: Zealand will not allow the arrival thera Of women and girls untrained in domestic requirements, Australia and Canada are not so exacting, for those "countries are ready to have tliem even though untrained. .... ' ..- .