IN THE PUBLIC mind

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 241, 11 October 1929, Page 6

IN THE PUBLIC mind

farm labour problem, i EFFECT OF POOR COHMIIORS. (To the Editor.) I consider the article in your i SSU e 0 f «. sth mst. under the above heading and ! 8.A.K." is rather misleading and wide o'S mark. His argument is that the offer of « wages and comfortable homes" f ai i s ff ° d the unemployed from the'cities Th « wages" amount to one shilling or W * f* for skilled men who have spent years h th h f r j oK Truly a splendidwwea *e able homes": It is true this allies cases, but m ma,nv more the iT a few consists of a single-roomed shack^'v" 1 from two to six or seven men live bJ * bedding are poor conveniences rnn«r,;: 411(1 their absence, and firewood be-rud<>ed T by many more the accommodation is , J? JCt scandal. I can take "BAK" to 1 ? 10Dal the Waikato owned by a wealthy W '5 man where the men's hut consists If fSr 4 of the implement shed (once a stable) feet by ten, with one very small There is no fire, no washing, bathino- n - r,,m,,owwashing facilities and and cattl parade right up to the door. In the sum in spite of all precautions, the place is Sv*' mass of fleas and mosquitoes. Thi's comfortable home" of three men who work at o a.m. and finish about 7 nm present attitude of farmers is , , e on labour as a necessary evil t v paid as little as possible, worked as i 7 possible and given about as much consirWas their dog. The day on whicl r ® of Xew Zealand realise that gSd good conditions to highly efficient fam hZt are a sound and profitable investment w ! the end of the present trouble of scamtl < labour. To th OS6 who have not read it, I would commend the careful and thoughtful ueraS Henry Ford's book "The Great ToSL the Greater Future," and I feel sure ft 2 cause many to alter their ideas on the reat ment of farm labour. gjjr'