NO WORK ON FARMS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 37, 27 February 1937, Page 5

NO WORK ON FARMS

-Prese Aasociation.)

Magistrate's Belief Denied by Owners SHORTAGE OF MEN

« (By Telegraph-

INVERCARGILL Last Night. Reference ,o comment by Mr W. H. Freeman, S.M., on the shortage of farm labour, made in the Magistrate 's Court at Gore this week, was made at a meeting of the Southland provincial executive Of the Farmers' Union to-day., Mr Freeman 's comment was made when he questioned a judgment debtor and asked him if he had tried to find wprk on farms. An assuranee that the debtor had done so without success was given and the magistrate asked if the cry made by the farmers throughout the country that they could not get men was not "all humbug. " The debtor said, "Yes, " and the magistrate remarked, "That's what 1 thought. ' ' "Mr Freeman 's remara must be challenged, ' ' said Mr W. H. Ward, at to^day's meeting. Mr Ward said that there had been a real shortage of labour. It was useless to deny that. He had advertised four times for labour and did fiot get one reply. The magistrate had no right to comment unless he had all the facts. Mr R. Grieve suggested that many farmers did not go to the right source first for labour. If they applied to the Placement Office for labour and could not obtain any, then they would have a real case. No motion was put forward.