SUGAR FOR FARM WORKERS

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23811, 3 December 1942, Page 6

SUGAR FOR FARM WORKERS

Sir,—What a pity it is when correspondents who have a reasonable case to tell the world damage their arguments by attempting to belittle other sections of workers. Such an example is presented by "Supporter of Democracy” in the reference to office workers. It may be unfortunate that one of the essential sections of labour known as office workers have not the support of Farmers’ Unions, etc., with their wide ventilation of grievances, both real and imaginary, given sympathetic publicity in the newspapers, but nevertheless they continue to render efficient and effective service to an important degree, often under unfavourable conditions and certainly with a much greater concentration of mental and nervous strain than a farm worker, whose efforts, after all, require more physical than mental capacity. Farmers, generally speaking, are bad managers from a bookkeeping point of view; therefore the very workers so slightingly referred to by "Supporter of Democracy” are as necessary to the farmers as apparently a "cup of tea” is necessary to the farmer’s wife, who, after all, is entitled to the same ration as the mothers and wives of all other workers.—Yours, etc., T. NUTTALL, December 2, 1942.

Sir,—“ Anxious Farmer’s Wife

wrote to “The Press” on November 21 concerning the arrangements made by the Government for morning and afternoon tea as extended to farmers and farm employees, and applying to wife and children over 14 years engaged full time on the farm. I consider this arrangement most unfair in its application to the farmer’s wife, who cannot have her morning and afternoon tea merely because she is unable to work outside all day. Yet she does as much and often more tiring work than the farmer and his employees. She spends most of her life in a hot kitchen, very often with hardly time to sit down, and generally it is only her cup of tea that keeps her going. If she does find time for outside work it is only after she has already done a day’s work inside. Surely she should be allowed her cup of tea as well as the farm workers. She deserves it as much as they do, and far more than the office workers who lead a sedentary life with far shorter hours and yet were allowed it first.—Yours, etc., G. 0.8. December 2, 1942.

Sir,—Recently the Minister of Sup-

ply made a statement that all farm workers were to be issued with sugar for morning and afternoon tea. I am asking the Minister of Supply if this applies to a woman on a farm cooking for men, giving a hand with outside work, including milking and sheep work. Is she not entitled to tea and sugar for morning and afternoon teas? Our local food controller says it does not include women doing this sort of work, because they are not full-time outside. Surely office girls doing 40 hours a week are not given preference over women on farms doing 80 hours. It seems to me the Minister of Supply has one ruling and the Food Controller another; or else they don’t understand.—Yours, etc., FARM WORKER. December 2, 1942.