SWEATED LABOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 180, 2 August 1938, Page 11

SWEATED LABOUR.

IS NOT JUSTIFIED.

DAIRY FARM FAMILIES.

PERSONAL INCOME ASPECT.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day.

The committee's report throws interesting light upon numerous aspects of the dairy industry. The committee discovered that only about 20 per cent of the labour employed on dairy farms was hired labour, outside the family. The wage-rate suggested, of £3 per week for men and £4 a week (plus housing and perquisites) for the farmer, represented an average of £3 10/ a week per labour unit on a farm where the owner himself worked and employed one man.

The members of families performing full-time work on the 19,307 farms investigated by the committee totalled 20,055 men and boys, and 1934 womeiK and girls. The number of members of families working part-time on farms was 6009 men and boys and 12,275 women and girls. The number of farm employees (outside family) 8008 men or youths, and 991 women or girls.

"In the dairy industry at present, the producer and his family supply the greater portion of the labour used," says the report. "In computing labour coste, allowance has been made for the payment of all labour on the farm, whether male or female, and whether members of families or employees. With thie allowance for labour there ie, therefore, no justification for any unpaid or sweated labour to be utilised on any efficient dairy farm in Xew Zealand. If there is any unpaid labour employed the farmer is correspondingly increasing his own perebnal income." A minority of the committee states that farmers are unable to compete to-day for hired labour, and that, therefore, families must continue to supply a very great proportion of the labour needed, long houre must continue to be worked. and few amenities enjoyed, as compared with town workers. __ The minority declares that conditions in the industry should be made sufficiently attractive to make it unnecessary to employ women and juniors in the sheds.