SHEARERS NEE[?]DED

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 243, 15 October 1942, Page 4

SHEARERS NEE[?]DED

RELEASES I !PM -«MY. SHEEP -FARMERS |ST CO- • OPERATE. Complaints seem fairly general, particularly in the Seddon district, that there is a serious shortage of shearers. When the secretary of the Production Council, Mr E. B. Fitzpatrick was seen about this he agreed that there was a serious shortage, but added that sheep-farmers* had not co- operated with the council in organising to overcome the difuculties. % A little while back, he said, the Production Council had inv|ted farmers to state their shearing requirements, but the response liad been meagre. Farmers had not replied, but v/ere now saying thac shearers were unobtainable. lihe council, with the Army's help, ff-ad secured the release of competent shearers and was trying to arrange an itinerary so that the released m&n could go on from shed to shed, till all requirements had been met without loss of time to the shearers. UnV less farmers themselves would imme4 diately state their requirements iii writing so that district shearing could be organised and no one missed out,,; the Production Council could notf overcome existing difficulties. "The; Army is willing to help," Mr Fitzpat-i rick added. "We have had some men released and no doubt will be able to i get more, but the farmers themselves must lielp. The release of skilled men and the organisation of a pro- | per system can't be done unless the | farmers will do their part. It's up to them. Shearers will be made avail - \ able aird the whole thing organised if 1 th ^farmers will only send us in cle - taihr t>f their requh-ements."