MEN, NOT MONEY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2168, 26 August 1920, Page 3

MEN, NOT MONEY.

THE COUNTRY’S SHORTAGE,

The difficulty of obtaining sufficient labour to carry on necessary work was referred to by the Prime Minister this Aveek, in the course of some remarks to the deputation whicli Availed on him to urge alternative routes in connection Avith the. Paekakariki Hill railway and road deviation.

Mr Massey said that it Avas not as easy a.s some people imagined to secure Hie labour. The labour avus not in the country. Ho avus sorry to have to say it, but it Avas a fact. A member of the deputation bad suggested that £1 a day should be paid, but that Avould not give them move labour. Every ship from England for the next few months Avould ho full; 4mt there Avere other people to be brought out besides immigrants. There Avere thousands of New Zealanders yet in England waiting.to get back to New Zealand —many of them the'Drives of soldiers, or their intended wives. These people naturally must come first. He believed it would lake years before the country could conic back to normal in regard to the labour supply. people had said that in Hie last few weeks things had been better. But it avus not a matter of wages. The Avork ot the country was being held up solely because the labour Avas not here.