FARM LABOURERS DISPUTE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13093, 18 April 1908, Page 11

FARM LABOURERS DISPUTE.

CONCILIATION* BOARD PRO-

CEEDINGS

The hearing of the f.irin labourers' dispute was r&siimed by the Conciliatk>n Board at the Provincial Council Chambers on Thursday. All the members of the Board wore present. In support of ihe case for the farmers the following evidence was called : — Malcolm Macfarlaue (rc-cal!ed) produced books dealing with the stores ftU pplipd the oook, J. Grice (who gave "evidence on belialf of the Union) to

show that in addition to iho quantities Vof sugar, previously detaikd, oO!i.*>wero 'supplied oa February lSih. Other entries show«d that .>u])])!ics of apples, tomatoes, ,];un and tomato wiuco had been supplied tiic cook.

John O'iiailoran, pastoralist, Glentui, JieiiiH'Ci*', svatod that ho farmed over hvo thousand »crci3. Ta& 'general larin bauds ho wn- . ployed were supposed to work from 7.3U a.m. to o.'M r>.in., with an hour off for dinner; the'- also took two spells oi 1o minutes each during the day; these hours did not apply to ploughmen. 'Jo Mr Joiice : If an award were made imposing restrictions upon him ho vouid only retain the services of those jnen that ho could not do without. He gave an in.-Uiiiice of the operation of the minimum wage in Oxford, where a carpenter had applied to tho Union to be allowed to work for 7s per day, but the Union had declined to aJJow him to irork under Ss, and the man had not been able to get work. The Chairman was given the name of this worker by tho witness, and tho Chairman intimated that he would communicate with tho Union on the matter.

Witness, ooiriinning. statod that ho 3iad no drsiro to have a niinimum wage fixed in r<«i«ird to farm labourers that would oj)t-raw> in a manner similar to the case he had citod. Ho estimated that tho decrease in the price of wool rooant that farmers wciJd have £2,500,000 less to distribute; while the depreciation in pelts represented £700,000; coEwrjuently the wages fund of tlie Dominion was largely diminished for the present yeir; in hia own case it would bo diminished by £700 or £800, and though he would not drop "the amount ho tvouW {my in wages by that figure, it would :.(• dropped at least £300. Many farmers had entered into heavy responsibilities with mercantile houses cm tho bash of present labour conditions; others, who had taken up land, were just on tho balance between l>eing erapjoyeis or emploj-e<js. and a very slight disturbance of conditions would send them bock to the ranks of the employees. Ho had been told of tho case of a widow with eight children, who was roaring thorn creditably on 100 acres under present conditions, hut who could not do so if she were, brought under an award. Farmers generally did nob d-e----eire to have their control of their families interfered with by any city organisation.

To 31 r Kennedy: The- reason why "tourists" wore paid less than permanent men was that usually the swagger had tho city '"shakes," and it sometimes took a week or so for him to recover; it tho work *he was put to was necessary work and he was capable of doing it ho got the wages of a permanent man. Twouty-five per cent of swaggors were good workers if they kept away from tbo city; 50 poT cent wore useless unless they were watched; and 25 per cent were old men, not old enough for the old age pension, who had somo physical disability. The financial, firms were the best friends tho country had. Ho considered that without them ho would be in rags and tatters to-day. They had been the earioure of Zealand.

Would it bo necessary to keep"'farm' labourers at the present low wages in order that the farmers 00-u'd pay interest?— They are not working for km' wages; if wages are increased the farmer who has contracted these financial responsibilities on the basis of present conditions will bo plaoed at a disadvantage if those conditions axo disturbed. It is possible that even if' iio'. award is made these , men. may go down. Witness, 'continuing, stated it was characteristic of a large number- of those trlio sought holidays and want to town that, it took them a week to recover from "city sickness" ;\ if the city hotels were closet! there would be no ■difficulty a!x>ut holidays. VTho majority of people would gather from what you say that the majority of farm workers are drunkards and need a week to recover after visiting town?—l would not have yon infer that I said anything against tho country workers; I confine myself principally to my own men.

-Witness..continuing, stated that tho fat lamb industry would suffer most if an award was made.

Foster George Barker, farmer. Woodend, stated that he fanned OS acres end paid £378 in wages per annum, as follows:—Casual labour, £80; throe men at 22s 6d per week, £175; one man by the day (40 weclts at 6s per day, 12 weeks at 7s per day). £97; on* boy at 10s. £26. Tho food bill for four men was £166. Under the award on the lines of the Union's demands Ms wages bill would bo £483 18s 4d. made up as follows:—Casual labour at ?sper day. £106 18a 4d; three men at 27s 6d per week. £214 10s; one boy at 17s 6d, £45 10s: one man by the <Say at 7s (kl. £117. TV time lost as the resnlt of granting the holidays demanded by the Union in excess of those given at present, represented Jabonr valued at £65 per annum. ' Edmund Somervillo. farmer, Southbridge, stated that ho farmed 330 acres, and had been farming for sisteen years. He started as a farm labourer. In the interests of men who wished to get on, contract -work should Kot be abolished. The- mnn who was getting 2"v> per. week and a £5 bonus jvas the best paid man in Canterbury; his wage, bonus, and tho value of his food worked out at about Sβ for each day worked; he estimated that on tho plains men worked an averaye of five ways per week. A good many farm labourers, some bejng mcoibers of the Union, had expressed the opinion to mm that the Union would do them more harm than good. • Mγ^Thorn had just opened his crossoxamination when tho Hoard adjourned till 10 a.m. on the 22nd inst.