SHORTAGE OF FARM LABOUR

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10624, 1 May 1912, Page 5

SHORTAGE OF FARM LABOUR

| DISCUSSION AT FARMERS' MEETING. The Wainiate correspondent of the Post telegraphs:—Mr Alfred Garland, President of the Waimat-e Farmers' Union, in an address at the annual meeting, referred to excess of imports (£2,000,000) over exports, and asked whether the farmers were becoming extravagant. There were oyer 1000. •registered motor-cars, in Christchur.ch "alone. Farmers had discarded horse j vehicles, for mQtoraarsy and imported . petrol to drive them with. He recog■'iiis«r: thai' there ttLtisi* fie some com."mercial advantage in owning a motor ,earj because hiaexperi&nce aith& aver-, age farmer was that he was not " the mail to put down half a crown unless Ihe saw a chance of picking up three shillings. Mr Garland also referred to the serious shortage of labour for farm purposes. One far-reaching effect of this was the reduced area brought un- ! der the plough, consequently therewas less produce for export. Land settlement had gone ahead, and this was a good thing, but the question now was whether there was labour enough in the" country to work the land already settled. Mr E. C. Stud holme O'ico-Prml-,ent) urged a national policy of immigration of suitable farm workers. The farming industry could absorb thousands of such without reducing wages. New, Zealand's exports might l>e doubted if labour was available to® work the farms as they might be worked. The meeting, resolved to set up a labour exchange. The question. of immigration was left to the South Canterbury executive, which will interview the Prime Minister next week. .