FARM LAB DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 99, 20 January 1908, Page 9

FARM LAB DISPUTE.

HVIDENCr, AT ; :.-[rBOM-." opn ■ srECiAi, cor.itisrohT>EVT.] V :... t Christchurch, January 18 : The li.oy.:on i.ho farm came' into women:t?ry''promiiietico duriiig the'.-proceedings ,b<^.'' "' -fortf 'tlfo .Cdciliatmn Board at' Waimate. A : . ■. .. slippher'd,:, 'who 'had.-..been' called., by; tha.-;. ; .' ■ ..nion; as y'witness, Paid that:/no "boy should ■> I)o.,permitted, to.touch a plough.until'ho-was IS years of- age. . - - • ! Jotics;' oiiei of tho farmers 1 represents!- V. . ' tiv.es, aslsetl-if tho witness knew, that a, boy .' of 1(5 took' 'tho championship' of South; Can- ,- terbury at- a ploughing match, competing -against all comers. , , - ; W'" ncsj sa'.d he must been an % ccptional boy. .. . - . V ill'.,Jones arkod if. tho exceptions bad net': ' ..to ba provided for as well as tho others? -. ; Later, oiv-tho, boy himself, now a young m:ui. °f 22,. was called as a witness. :He said - , h"-had been able to plough 011 the farm at •; W, years.of ago;, Ploughing was the easiest : '■ ■work tbat a boy-could bo put to 011 the farm. ' lit jiad tajion first prize, against ail comers., in A" ploughing match when 110 was 18. Any - boy who had been "brought- up oH u farm was capable of ploughing at .14... Turning out lieges at night; was not yrork, and that was •all that remained to'be dono with tho. -hoi'scs after G o'clock s't- iiight'. ', He/did not ■ ' 'consider bringing in tho horses iii tho nioriUug was working. He considered he began; work when, ho yoked his horses in . tho.. ploiiglu' Witness was not receiving wages Irom his father, and he had never worked on any;'farm but■ his-father's; but if he did en'.' .-out to wbi'K, lie would consider he sho'Jd • 'get 275.. Oij. per week. :'Ho did not think that v the majority of .plougbuieu were competent. A ;cqm.fjotout man: should l-o able to put in a . .. , ;croi)'a'tid;talf<j.ili gut.without, instruction from . .: i |- bis' employer.. ,Ho would not join tlio L'ninu - ' becauso lio'.was in a ,free country and be■lioyed in hciiiK a free iiiaii. If Ilo'joined tha . : j 'union .ho. would liava to take wages front his ; his ..will,.,For a really good,- " just enough. When- - V,i lather and: son's "pooled'' their interests, .! and-tho'sons (lid-not get wages, there wan i an, Understanding that Hie father would start. • ! his sons', on.'a.faj-m of their own. , Another farmer witness said that when ho was oilly 11 years old he used to drive 0110 of tho old-style reapers, 'ami before he was 12 i ho had .worked a sin^lc-furiow.plough. . At i •tho' first placo oil-which, lie worked ho got •• ■] ,17s,- « i week,; and. at tho second plac« 15s. ' •! for driving ; a ieam. At the' ago of 21 ho .' bought a farm ou his own account, having ' .] saved £300 in tho live or six, years lie had been wages.' \ r ery few farm hands : ranild do ; ..tlu)ir work without being shown, bub there woro some really good men. Alot:t . ' of tho i:om])otent men got farms of thoir own. ; Witness kept some sheep, and his little boy, aged 7, went round them and got up any i that wero'-on- their baiiks. Witnoos was paid . ' • no : wa'go foi 1 Working for his father. He used to got his tucker and a suit of dunga- ! rees occasionally. . i A "suggestion was made by witness-that - . | Mr. - Thbm, who. is conducting the case for ! the' farm labourers before tho Hoard,- is pnij i '|a big fat salary." ' ' Mr; Thorn said ho would liko to make a i stntoment in 1 connection with this-matter. He 1 lnid heanl it said, both at Oeraldino and Wai- J mate, that ho was beilig paid six i:°r ; week,- but tlio ■ faot'was thnt : for the ton i weeks ho'had-been conductinp tilO case lie 1 had - hot -rocei i'd9-«nc penny in-'Wages,'-nor. wa& he uuder any engagement to receive •' any, :