Pay For Farmers’ Wives

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30471, 19 June 1964, Page 10

Pay For Farmers’ Wives

Sir, —The district Superintendent of Labour appears to have clouded the issue on this matter. From a taxation point of View the farmer’s wife is considered his servant where she helps in the milking shed, drives a tractor, or does certain work with stock, but not when she cooks for farm workers. As for businessmen providing hospitality for firms’ executives or their clients, and would point out that farmers’ wives also do this and have never asked to be paid for doing so. What they do ask for is to be paid when cooking for employees of the farmer. In the instance of a company-owned farm, the principal shareholders’ wife can be paid for this work. Hoping this may help to clarify the situation.—Yours, etc.,

R. S. LATTER. Scargill, June 16, 1964.

Sir,—l join “Another Farmer’s Wife” in her challenge to the district superintendent of the Department of Labour to quote any cases where the wife of a business executive has to cook for all or any of her husband’s employees on a scale comparable to that undertaken by most farmers’ wives. I suggest that Mr Collins take the time to familiarise himself with the catering requirements on an average farm for 12 months before comparing this with the provision of hospitality to business executives and clients sometimes undertaken by other wives. Of this entertaining, much is done in a restaurant and most softened by an “expense account.” He would do well to remember that this is also done by the farmer’s wife in addition to her other duties and without the convenience of an adjacent restaurant. Yours, etc.

A. D. McLEOD. June 17, 1964.

Sir, —It is more than time that farmers’ wives received pay for providing meals for all casual farm workers, herdtesters, etc. The district Superintendent of Labour, Mr Collins, states that business men frequently provide hospitality for their clients. What a comparison! The business man’s wife in elegant hostess frock received her husband’s guest or guest for an occasional dinner; the farmer’s wife serving five meals a day, and the herd-tester for a full day each month, date of arrival always unknown. For further comparisons, I might mention holidays. How many farmers’ wives have an annual holiday? The business man’s wife always has one. In conclusion, it is far from fair when farmers supply export goods in order to provide the business man with his imports.—Yours, etc., FAIR DEAL. June 17, 1964. [This correspondence may now cease—Ed., “The Press.”]