PAY FOR FARMERS’ WIVES FAVOURED

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30452, 28 May 1964, Page 1

PAY FOR FARMERS’ WIVES FAVOURED

A remit that farmers’ wives

be paid for the meals they cook for farm workers was carried at the annual meeting of the Canterbury-Westland division of the National Party yesterday. The meeting decided that the Government be asked to alter legislation to provide for such, payment to farmers' wives and .that these wages be deductible for tax purposes, as an incentive to increase production. Mrs R. C. Overton (Rangioral. who introduced the remit, said that for generations New Zea'and women had h elped their men on the land, and after all they were married to the job. “I hope perhaps that from now on they will get fair re-

cognition for their work,” she said.

Mr R. S. Latter (Rangiora) said that in the busy season farmers’ wives sometimes provided six meals a day. They provided five meals a day for the men around the station for the rest of the year. “This remit is directed to help the small farmer,” he said. “The big farmers are not concerned with it. If you are a small struggling farmer you can’t deduct for what you cook in vour own home. But if you cook in a kitchen five yards away from your own home, you can .claim. It would be a tremendous help to her morale.”

The Minister of Finance (Mr Lake) said he would be very happy to discuss this with the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.