FORTY-HOUR WEEK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 304, 5 October 1946, Page 4

FORTY-HOUR WEEK

SUSPENSION DEMANDED BY FARMERS RELIEF OF WORLD FAMINE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. A call for suspension of the provisions of the 40-hour week until the danger of world famine was removed was made by the Dominion conference of Federated Farmery. This decision was reached unanimously on a remit from Otago.,

The conference also adopted the following remit, supported by the Wan-ganui-Taranaki, West Coast, Waikato and Auckland Farmers’ unions: “That in view of the world shortage of food and all consumer goods and in view of the large amount of work requiring to be done in New Zealand and the extreme shortage of labour to do it, this conference is of the opinion that the 40-hour week is wrong in principle. If both the Government and Opposition intend to adhere to the 40-hour week principle, this conference demands increased allowances in the prices of farm produce as compensation so that farmers and farm workers may have their efforts, which include work on Sundays and holidays, measured by the same tape as is used to measure the payment of those who render equal service.” “That the national polciy of New Zealand should he direction of the national energy toward the development of land, and for the greater promotion of the production of food for the starving peoples of the world, to set an example in the saving of food and labour and to eliminate all obstacles to the best use of New Zealand’s natural resources. That this policy cannot be pursued by continual appeals for greater effort .from the diminishing number of farmers and farm workers on a shrinking area of land, much of which is reverting to its natural state.” “That this conference is convinced that the negative action of rationing and the diminishing production will not greatly relieve the world food shortage, but that a bold drive for increased production is an urgent necessity, and that as a means to this end the restrictions should be removed and minimum economic prices for ? food products should be assured.”