Farm Labour

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 99, 21 January 1936, Page 11

Farm Labour

Sir,—die writer the letter signed ‘‘Not a Grouser,” I feel Quite flattered, that “Equity” has noticed my letter. He /may be clever, but he is in error about my sex. He-gives me the opportunity to say that the white' shirt in question was needed for playing chess with the champion visitor, and also for his afternoon off on Saturday, when he played tennis. 1 forgot to say that the married couples’ cottage had an excellent washhouse, better equipped than the farmer’s. The ceiling of the cottage living-room was quite iu keeping with that of a town house. The farm couple were also allowed a fortnight’s holiday on full pay. The farm hand is allowed Access to papers and books also. It looks like “painting the lily”! “Farm Hand” also thinks a bathroom or washhouse “would make it easier for wives and families.” It is gratifying to find my letter notieed, and a good thing from a labour point of view.—l am, etc-., NOT A GROUSER. Carterton, January 18.

- Sir, —It was not my intention to encroach further on your valuable space, but before leaving the city I would like to answer “Townie’s” letter. I spent seven years in this city, and have therefore not been a "bushie” all my life. As for looking through rose-coloured spectacles, I take the good with the bad,, and should a job fail to come up to expectations, I refrain from crying about it. Most of the youths who are forced out of towns through lack of work have never been taught to work, and I am afraid have no desire to learn. It would be interesting to learn what would happen were they taken into bush country and left to their own devices, as were the pioneers of this"country. Would they in say, ten years, make their piece of ground pay its way? I seek leave to doubt it. How did the men and women spend their leisure hours?. Motor-cars, talkies and large cities were not heard of, yet they seem to have derived a fair amount of fun out of life. Although of the ■younger generation, I believe that the spirit that kept those “old timers” going still exists in the back coun Wellington, January 18. [This correspondence is now closed.— Editor.] Si r> —Having read “Townie’s” and “Bushie’s” letters I wish to say that I quite agree with “Bushie” that country life is all riglit. I would sooner listen to a lot of bull calves just weaned than to some of the noises one hears in town. At the same time I think conditions and wages should be made better for farm hands. —I am, etc., FARM HAND. Fountain, January 17. Sir, —There is one aspect of the above that has not been touched by any of your correspondents, viz., the difference, -between the wages paid by Australian dairy--farmers and those paid by New Zealand dairymen. In New South Wales and Vic-: toria the basic wage paid is £2/8/6 With board, or £3/8/6 without board. One has only to look at the prices quoted for New Zealand and Australian dairy produce to see that our New Zealand produce is. always higher our neighbour’s across the Tasman Sea. Independent of the 14 million pounds paid to the farmers by the taxpayers, they must have made a good thing out of their wage-slaves in the past. J. NOINAM. Wanganui, January IS.