THE ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 17, 14 October 1927, Page 12

THE ARBITRATION COURT

Sir,—Tho learned Judge of the Arbitration Court may know a lot about the theories he has beeit working out during his long term as Judge of the Court, but theory and practice do not always agree. The Socialists have a beautiful theory, but has it ever succeeded in practice? The farmers may not know much about the theoretical part of the Court’s Awards but to their sorrow they know the practical, for they pay, and a few of tho Court’s proteges also know. A while ago I was talking to a man who had been brought up on a bush farm, but seeking an easier’life had taken up employment in tho town. The union to which he belonged were laying their case before the Court, asking for belter wages and conditions and he was explaining their complaint to me. . 1 said to him. "Now you know something about breaking in now country and the conditions on farms to-day. What do you think a pound of butter would cost if the old settlers who developed New Zealand and the dairy farmer of to-day were given tho conditions nnd wages you are asking?” He renlied, “Oh yes. I know all about that but we are skilled workers and have responsibility, etc., and get very little more than unskilled workers.” I . said, "Yes. but that's not my question.” Well he said ss. a lb. nt least. This man know more about the practical side of the question than tho Judge. Later I related this conversation to- a commercial traveller, questioning myself whether the previous man’s estimate was not a little high. The traveller said. "No. I’ve been a fanner myself, and I’m sure it would cost more.” A while ago T was anxious to finish a bit of stumping and clearing but found I was short of time. I put a man on at it; that part cost me over £3O an acre—more than the land is worth. Again I was ton-dressing some hill country and in response to an appeal from the Labour Department to cnirloy as much labour as possible, I fold them that they could send me two men for tho above purpose- but that they must be young and strong and not afraid to work. Tho manure was a week late coming to hand so 1: let them .elean out a dram that affected no more than 8 acres of land. It cost 1 mo £8 15s. —a good rent for the land itself. When the manure camo they worked about ten minutes, said the job was no good to them, and stung if. Aly son and T carried tho work through onrselves, top-dressing 300 acres of hill. We may know less than nothing, as the Judge is reported to have said, but the wages and conditions that are the outcoriie of the Court’s awards are the principal cause of unemployment to-day. A farmer under present conditions cannot carry on improvements excepting what ho and his family can do, hence farms are not being improved to anything, like the extent they should he. and in a great many cases are going bank. "Shopherd,’’ in your issue of tho 7th inst., complains of tho lot of. the farm workers and In comparison to the town worker, they are certainly underpaid, but what about the farmer himself? Tf he nays more for labour than it, is worth to him ho cannot pass it on like the town employer nnd is certainly heading for bankruptcy.—l am, etc,.. FARMER, October 12.