ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 2, 25 September 1937, Page 3

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

-Press Association.)

Why Sustenance Labour is Not Placed on Farms MINISTER EXPLAINS

(By Teleeraph—

WELLINGTON, Last Night. When the House resumed at 2.30 p.m. Hon H. T. Armstrong, referring to criticism of the Labour Department, said it had been stated that there were 20,000 men on sustenance. Why, then, he had been asked, had not some hundreds of these been given to the farmen to assi^t in easing the position concerning the farm labour shortage? The position was not quite as easy as it appeared. All of those 20,000 men had been medically examined, and of them 5604 married men and 1850 single men had been classified as totally unfit for work at all. This left 12,500, of whom 7000 had been classified as fit only for light work, and a big percentage for only very light work. This left only 5546 classified as fit for any work, but there was another side to the question. He had been told that a number of farmers were owners of pedigree herds and refused to allow men inexperienced in handling such cattle to work among their herds. There was something in that view, added the Minister, but it could be seen that the shortage of farm labour was not all the Government's fault. Speaking of public works, the Minis-^ ter said the , number of men on public works at . pr esent was not ' sufiicient for normal requirements. Boads, bridges and houses were needed, -and men for these works were not available, as we had been to believe. The Minister concluded . by : saying . that, where men suitable for farm labour refused -to take it, they were .to „ be struck off the register. The' mover of 'the Address, Mr J. Thorn, replied'to:the debate on'similar lines to those; used in his previous; speech, and a motion was: carried that the Address ; be presented ;to • tha Governor-General at a txme suitable to his Excellency. • ...