SHORTAGE DOES EXIST

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 333, 14 January 1937, Page 4

SHORTAGE DOES EXIST

Little Labour For Farms In Taranaki And Auckland.

“The shortage of dairy-farm labour, especially in South Taranaki and the Auckland province, is a reality,” said Mr A. P. O’Shea, Dominion secretary of the New Zealand Dairy Farmers’ Union, when interviewed yesterday. “The cause is undoubtedly the disparI ity between the wages paid by the ! Public Works Department and the ; rate the dairy-farmer is able to offer.” If proof was needed, said Mr. i O’Shea, it was supplied by the result I of a questionnaire issued to dairyfarmers by the South Taranaki execa- ’ tive of the Farmers’ Union. This in- ; vestigation covered 117 dairy-farms < and 51 mixed farms, on which 9072 [ cows, an average of 75 to a farm, j were milked by 769 employees. The | labour w r as employed on 104 of the farms. To the question whether they had sufficient and satisfactory labour at present, 45 farmers replied “No,”| and the estimate of the additional • men required to farm the land effi-1 ciently was 68. Twenty-seven wives and 26 children under 15 were assisting in the milkingj sheds; 46 farmers indicated they | would employ married labour if tire] Government assisted with the housj ing. Generally youth labour was pre-1 ferred as costing less, although it was; recognised that the employment, of! older men meant more efficiency and i greater production. Forty-eight farmers declared that! men had left them for employment I ; on the public works, and it was an ; ■ almost universal opinion that this I competition made it difficult for farmj ers to secure labour for improvej ments.