FARM LABOUR

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1940, Page 8

FARM LABOUR

J. S. HICKEY.

(To the Editor.) Sir, — In your sub-leader dealing with the farm labour problem you, like the Prime Minister and the Minister of Labour, conveniently come to the conclusion that the lack of accommodation on the farms was the main obstacle to a solution of the problem. That this is not the case was illustrated at a meeting of the coastal production committee yesterday when the eases of five farmers were considered. On each farm there was good accommodation available for a married man, and in three instances the farmer had gone to considerable expense recently to provide it, but despite repeated .requests to the placement officer they are unable to get a man. In each case the question of the wages required is not important, and in the meantime the farmer and his wife must struggle along and do their best to handle large herds in their effort to help the production effort. The responsible Ministers must know why the thousands of men said to be able and willing to take up farm work are not doing so. The conditions of work on makeshift relief jobs are so attractive that the men cannot be blamed for preferring them to those applying on the farms. Until the Government has the courage to eliminate useless and unproductive public works there will be a labour problem for producers and the production of foodstuff vital to Britain

must suffer. — I am etc., Opunake, Sept. 10.