ABUSE OF EXPERIENCED FARM LABOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 305, 24 December 1926, Page 13

ABUSE OF EXPERIENCED FARM LABOUR.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —My personal experience at my last job in a district not far from Auckland was that after my stating myself a fully experienced farm hand, I had expected to find a decent job and a decent boss. On arrival I was told that there would be "no team work," "thirty-five shillings a week pay and well found." The boss soon found harrowing and discing too tedious for himself, and "well found" meant that" he objected to butter with either toast or hot meat, and also that all crusts and plenty of cold water came my way. The wages suddenly diminished to 30/, he presumably having had no intention of paying 35/. The sleeping accommodation was situated about fifty yards from the house; and in the shed were bags of coal from which black bugs would crawl to bid one good-night. It was a 15-hour-a-day job at a mini-j mum wage of 30/ per week, which, if, one could possibly allow 30/ for the j "found" part of it, means that a man got about 6d an hour. I ask any fair thinker is this not approaching slav- i cry? Is there any wonder why men starve in town sooner than go to' the country?—l am, etc., A DISGUSTED N.Z.