FARM LABOUR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 November 1939, Page 5

FARM LABOUR

SURPLUS OF INEXPERIENCED MEN GOVERNMENT OFFERING SUBSIDY. STATEMENT BY MR WEBB. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. The existence of a large surplus of inexperienced farm labour in the North Island and a surplus of both experienced and inexperienced farm workers in the South Island was disclosed in figures quoted today by the Minister of Labour (Mr Webb) in an interview. He announced that the Government had decided to offer a subsidy of £1 for £1 to farmers for the employment of inexperienced workers for a period of six months. He said lhe latest returns from placement officers throughout New Zealand showed that at November 10, vacancies notified through the State Placement Service totalled 365. Of these. 70 were for inexperienced men and 295 for experienced men. By far the larger proportion of the vacancies notified continued to be in the North Island dairying centres. The total number of available workers was 687, made up of 104 experienced men and 583 inexperienced “We are roughly short of about 200 men experienced in farm work, ’ said Mr Webb. “The usual steps have been taken to acquaint centres holding labour surpluses of vacancies in less favoured districts.” He said it was apparent that vacancies for experienced men in North Island centres remained unfilled in considerable numbers. There were inexperienced men much in excess of the vacancies available. In the South Island there was a surplus of both experienced men. Announcing the subsidy offer the Minister said he would appeal to farmers to make contact with placement officers with the hope of getting suitable inexperienced labour that could soon be made useful. So far as harvesting was concerned, the Placement Office would make available mon now employed in Scheme 13. The Public Works Department had been releasing and would still release men to help in the harvest field. "We realise lhe importance of speeding up production and making use of whatever labour is available to help in that direction,” the Minister declared. It is known that a considerable number of experienced farm workers are now in camp and their replacement, particularly in the northern districts has created a real difficulty, but if the best use is made of the inexperienced men available, many of the hardships felt by some farmers should disappear.”