FARM-LABOUR SHORTAGE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 8, 25 January 1937, Page 8

FARM-LABOUR SHORTAGE

General Workers' Federation Offers Assistance SMALLER GRASS-SEED CR0P Introducing a discussion at a meeting of the Poverty Bay Farmers' Union on the shortage of farm labour, the chairman, Mr. J. E. Benson, asked members to let him have definite instances within their knowledge. Mr. Benson said that he knew that the area of land set aside for 'certified ryegrass seed in Poverty Bay this year was a great deal less than formerly, owing to labour difficulties and it vvas the sarae in Hawke's Bay. This was lamentable in the two premier ryegrass districts in the Dominion. Mr. Veitch: It is impossible to get Maoris for scrub cutting. I know of one uian who cannot get his Scrub cut. I see by the paper that the Cook County Council is taking on Maoris on the No. 5 scheme. Mr. Smith: There should be no unemployed at all. with wool and butter over T/- a pound. Those prices should have solved the labour problem. But the trouble is the attractive rates of sustenauce and Public Works pay. Work on i'arms is available for men, but the men are wauting 2/6 an hour for harvesting. * The chairman instanced'a man milking 90 cows, who formerly employed labour, but who could not atford to pay the high award rates asked. He had, accordingly, found it necessary to put his wife back in the milking shed. Mr. Smith stated that, owing to the fear that labour would not be available, the area of gtrass-seed shut up this year was a great deal less than formerly. In actual fact, there were plenty of men available for casual work from the town. The speaker had been getting men for harvesting from town for the last two or three years. Mr.. Hockley , of the locai placement office, kad informed the speaker that there were 40 harvesters available. The chairman: 1 don't think that the fact that the placement officer has 40 men on his list is a. real test of the farm labour- position, because, no doubt, many of these would be unused to farm labour. I suggest tliat Mr. Blackburn and myself should interview the placement officer to see what experience they have had. Mr. Field mentioned that the iate Mr. Justice Sim, who formerly presided over the Arbitration 'Court, had found it impossible to solve the problem of farm labour and conditions. Referring to the hindrance caused to shearing by the operation of the 40-hour week, the chairman asked the opinion of the meeting on the present shearers' award. The Hon. R. Semple had stated that Public Works men were allowed to make up their j 40 hours, should they be interrupted by wet weather. The speaker thought shearers should have the same piivilege. Mr. Innes: Until we can control the weather, I do not see that seasonal work should be subject to restriction at all. It was decided to send a renut to the Dominion conference urging latitnde for shearers' hours. ^