THE LABOUR QUESTION.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10867, 17 January 1901, Page 2

THE LABOUR QUESTION.

TO THE EDITOR OT THE PB_"SS. Sir,—l notice in your issue of yesterday and to-day that farmers are anxious about getting hands during the present harvest season. If you will allow xa-e, I will give you my experience of how the farm labourer is treated at a station where I have just come from, whioh may throw some light upon ths reason why men are not eager to embrace even the extra advantages of pay, when they have to deprive themselves of all other comforts. A fortnight ago I went to relieve a man there, who was going for a fortnight's holiday. 1 had to pay fare, as others do, to the nearest railway station, and arrived at my destination, the homestead, per cart belonging to the station — everyone that's engaged in town not being so lucky. It was then about half-past nine at niglit, and the driver said I should find my bunk in tho big whare over there, pointing to the place. This dirty place, after fumbling about in the dark, I found— a lar--e building with many bunks in it. I selected mine, and, unfolding my swag, I lav down on my bed of chaff to sleep. but," alas, little oi" that was there to be got that night, for creeping things—fieas, I think—soon made night hideous, apart from the mice or young rat 3, which ever and anon kept elropping from the top bunk on to mine and miming over mc. As soon as daylight appeared I arose, and gladly so, and asked where I could have a wash", and a small creek, with no accommodation whatever, was pointed out to mc a few yards off. In such a fashion, and without soap, of course, only a mere splash of the face could be obtained, and yet this is how men who exist there have to manage. I then sauntered into the kitchen, diniug room, and other places adjoining the cuisine department. These I found iv a disgusting slate of filth—the boarded floor and tables of the dining rooms simply black, and covered with the refuse, certainly I should say, of duvs. There are dead branches of trees hanging overhead, the remains, I believe, of some concert once held there, and since retained because, as I was told, they prevented the sweat from the iron roof from dropping on to the tables, etc. Well, Sir, the gong was sounded for breakfast, which consisted of porridge, bread—nearly black —mashed potatoes served on rusty tin plates tea, without milk, pepper and salt in dirty tins with holes punched at the top, and chops. The place was so dark that I relate facts when I say that I could not clearly _cc what I was trying to cut. Each man is supplied with a" knife and fork aud tin pannikin, and these he is supposed to keep clean himself, carry -wherever he goes, and return when leaving, or pay 2s 6d. The repast over, one can go back to one's bunk, do a little washing at the creek, or sit upon tho one form provided in the dirty, filthy, small sitting -room opposite the kitchen,' where there is also one other bunk. Lamps are considerately provided everywhere, in the shape of eild fat poured into tins standing upon a plate, with a wick made of sacking or anything else. These are placed under your nose on the dining i-num tables, and wero lighted for tea last .Monday night between 5 and 6 o'clock. The sanitary arrangements are on a par with the rest of this place of many thousands of acres. I tasted nothing else that day. so am obliged to leave t_Te rest of the meils. . Next morning I was driven to the plough camp, of from twenty to twenty-five men, v. her. 1 was to be stationed during t_e next fortnight. On my arrival there to say that I was shocked beyond description is only because my feeble"pen fails to describe it o; hi-rv.-i-e. I first look.d into the diningroom, and found it in a most vile state of filth, and then into the kitchen. To call this plae. 'i-s I found it anything but a. pigstye would be unttcrly out of place. Magsuet, _nt-t-s..ife, ar.d, in fact, everywhere, suet, meat-safe, and, in fact, everywhere. Leaving this horrible state of affairs, let mc introduce you to the foodstuff provided, as I found it. Bread, flour, rice, oatmeal, mutton, sugar, tea, currants, j>epper, salt, tartaric acid, and soda. This was the bill

of fare for New Year's Day and others on such a, large station—no milk, not even a bit of brown:.;., i r anything, ot good cheer during the festivo season. Query, was this wliat was going on at the beautiful homestead a mile or so away? The water, too, had to be fetched from a creek.about 40 yards away, and was simply filthy from the horses standing in it all day. A tank there was, but, alas, none thought it his business to see that it was filled. The men breakfast at 6 a.m., start at 7 a.m., and arrive back at 11.30, leave again at 1 p.m., and como back at 5.30, then have tea und retire to their bunks. This, therefore, is exactly how the ploughmen and others are treated, and leads mc to ask you, sir, while justly celebrating and congratulating yourselves iipen a magnificent Jubilee, to go beyond the precincts of your beautiful city, and think whether the real workers of the soil, from whence sprung all the riches you ar9 reaping the benefit of, do not deserve better and more enlightened treatment than they are at present receiving. I fail to see where the advantages are for tlie English labourer to give up his many comforts, etc., nor where the fruits of your progressive legislation are, if it does not extend to outlying districts, to enforce something like; but these questions are wide ones, and I only hope and trust that the day is far distant when the present slight fear of a lack of labour may not become a potent and more absorbing factor in the every-day working out of your destiny amongst the nations in this world of ours.— Yours, etc., VISITOR. Sir.—l. «. with surprise that I read of Mr Hugo Fi_-.dhi.--er asking the Government to s.top the Co-operative Works so as to supply barvester.. fur Canterbury ; still, it shows 'th: anxiety of the farmers lest there may be a. difficulty in obtaining tlie necessary labour. It. would bci very hard on a lot of men to throw thtm out of work, and cause them to have to sp=nd money and time and be at inconvenience 100-king for work harvesting, especially as that work only lasts a short time. Could not the Government arrange that f."liners on opplicatdoTi for a man, or men, for a given number of weeks, could have them -snt to _!i.em from the Co-operative Works, and the man have tihe right of then returning to liis -work-if unafob to get other h-arve-. ting or work to die-. Tliiis plan should, I think, be fair to all, and not hinder road rn.akih-.__: .except to cave crops. Thanking you if you would advocate this.—Yours, etc., SYMPATHISER.