198 WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 



to the difficulties which farmers experience in growing 

 wheat. Indeed, many farmers declare that it is on 

 account of this very difficulty that they have been 

 forced to turn to pastoral pursuits. Whether this is 

 exaggerating the position is a debatable point, but it is 

 clear that our supply of agricultural labour is not 

 efficient in all respects. 



(a) Rural Depopulation. The supply of farm labour 

 not only lacks much of the necessary skill,* but is also 

 deficient in numbers. There is no doubt that rural de- 

 population has been in operation in New Zealand since 

 the opening years of the present century. On this point 

 the Cost of Living Report has a wealth of information.! 

 In 1881 out of every 100 persons in the Dominion 59 

 were living in counties and 40 in boroughs. In 1911 the 

 corresponding figures are 49 and 50. 



TABLE xxx. 



In the following table a comparison is made of bread-winners in 

 the chief food-producing rural industries with the bread-winners in the 

 total population of the Dominion. 



1901 1906 1911 



This clearly illustrates the movement of population 

 from primary production into urban industries, but it 

 does not of necessity follow that such rural depopulation 

 is detrimental to national welfare. Such a movement 

 may indicate that "an increasing proportion of the 

 people are devoting themselves to the production of 

 goods of a high order, such as the comforts and harmless 

 luxuries of life, Government service, the growth of 

 art, science, education, and truly recreative leisure." 



*See Chapter III., Sec. 8, (b). 



t"Cost of Living Report, 7 ' 1912, H-18. Page Ix. 



