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 Inving Report has a wealth of information.t 
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 
Total of all classes ... sats 340,230 399,085 454,118 
Agricultural, Pastoral and 
Dairying Number ee 85,022 92,565 104,123 
Percentage of Total Bread-winners 24.99 23.19 22.93 
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,’’ 1912, H-18. Page Ix. 
