NO LABOUR

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32310, 8 September 1943, Page 5

NO LABOUR

FARMERS CONCERNED PRODUCTION MUST SUFFER POSITION IN THAMES VALLEY A meeting of the Thames District Council of Primary Production was held at Thames on Thursday, September 2, those present being Messrs S. E. Hall (chairman), Win. Hamilton, E. W. Harris, W. H. Cheale, Dan Courtney, C. W. Schultz, W. A. Jefferis, H. S. Curtis (members), Mr R. W. Chappell (District Man-Power Officer (Paeroa) and *Mr A. V. Allo (Instructor, Dept, of ' Agriculture, Thames) and Mr J. E. Green, clerk. Very long discussion took place between members as to the acute shortage of labour On the farms, members 1 expressing keen disappointment that i the expected releases of men from camp had not materialised/and that production must inevitably suffer. Mr Chappell explained many of the difficulties experienced in vie'w of Army requirements, that he had no labour offering whatever for farm work but had a large number of applications from farmers for labour but could not at present supply anyone. The secretary explained that he had done everything possible to endeavour to find labour for the requests he had on hand for some time but without result. Men For Camp Mr Courtney moved and Mr Curtis seconded that this council request the Armed Forces Appeal Board to notify this council of all cases of farm 1 hands about to be drafted into camp and for whom no appeal had been lodged or for whom an appeal had been withdrawn so that those cases can be reviewed and enquired into by this council with the view to placing them on some farm where the labour position is desperate. Members stressed the necessity of farmer employers of labour realising |heir obligation of notifying the Armed Forces Appeal Board and the District Man-Bower Officer when men employed by them left their service so that they could be traced, and placed on another farm and so help to keep this class of labour available to the industry. Moved by Mr E. W. Harris, seconded by Mr W. H. Cheale, that the National Council be written to in reference to their letter of August 24 as to the constitution of this council that members of the council do consider that the present set-up of this council and its committees is giving good service and that the council’s committees have done their work satisfactorily during the past year.