FARMERS' INITIATIVE

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1940, Page 6

FARMERS' INITIATIVE

rural labour scheme SPECIAL RATING AREA central taranaki idea As a promising move backed by a constructive idea, a scheme at present being explored in Central Taranaki to ensure casual farm labour being available in a district was approved by the North Taranaki Council of Primary Production last night and recommended for more general adoption by rural communi'.ies. It was reported that farmers in one district were proposing to form themselves into a special rating area with a view to securing money borrowed from the county council. Sufficient funds would thus be borrowed to erect a better type of house in a central spot. to accommodate a worker selected by the committee who would thus become available for casual work. Position at Wnitoitoi. Little hope of retaining for farm work, the public works men camped at Waitoitoi is held out by the Minister of Labour. the Hon. P. C. Webb. In a letter read last night to the association the Minister stated that from inquiries made it appeared that farms in the Pukearuhe area were already well developed and the opinion was held that, while little could be done to increase dairy production, there was little need for casual labour. The Minister admitted that there might be some merit in the association's suggestion that any married quarters shouid be moved across to the Pukearuhe district as they became vacant rather than be shifted to some more distant part of Taranaki. At the same time, he said, a question arose as to who shouid sponsor the removal. No individual farmer was likely to entertain the project unless he required the exclusive service of an employee, and the employee could hardly he expected to bear the cost unless he could see some definite advarttage to himself. ' In view of these and other difficulties enumerated in the letter, the Minister indicated that the proposals did not seem capable of ready solution.