HINDOO INVASION

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 43, 19 August 1918, Page 4

HINDOO INVASION

QUESTION OF COUNTRY WORK

DIFFICULT MEN TO DEAL WITH.

Interesting light on the Hindoo invasion, referred to by the Jlayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) in a statement made to The Post a few d:iys ago, ia contained in a letter which Mr. Luke has received from a prominent farmer in the South Auckland district, who is also well known in business circles in Wellington. Mr. Luke stated that there had been a great influx of Hindoos to Wellington, and, being unable to find anything to -do, they 'had gone to him. However, he had no work to offer them, and had referred the problem to the Labour Department. It would seem from the statements contained in the following letter that the Hindoo is not a very satisfactory person to deal with :—

"You may know that I have a farm in this district, and spend part of my time in this locality, therefore have had opportunities of learning something about these men, not only by, hearsay but actual experience. Now, 6ir, there is plenty of work in this district and none of these men should be idle, but this :e the position: They absolutely refuse to take any work" by contract. They won't work under 10s per day for light work, and 12s for heavy work, besides having their horse kept free and being provided with one gallon of milk per day. No one would object to paying tin's providing that the men were worth, the money, but they are inexperienced workmen, besides being light in buifd. Living as they do they are not equal to white men. They know' about the scarcity of labour on account of so many sons of farmers being away, so they have taken advantage of this position. The farmers have commented severely upon this and other injustices placed upon them while the Government restricts the value of their products. I will givo you ,a comparison of work done by Indians and work done by white men. Four years ago . . . I paid a man for cutting gorse. Two-thirds of the land was. ploughed and put into crop, and one-third was allowed to go back to gorse. I paid a. white man 10s per day, and the total cost was £7 17s 6d. I decided 1 a short time ago to cut the piece that was allowed to go back" to gorse. . I tried for months to get a man but could not. Then I put on an Indian at 10s per day. He was at it for six weeks (£18) and did not finish one-third of the area cut by the white man. in just over a fortnight., «

"This has been going owall over this district, consequently the farmers are

now refusing to employ the .Indians. This will to some extent .explain why so many are making for the towns. They should be made to take work at a, reasonable price—piece-work—and also made to contribute to the war funffs, instead of being allowed to send all their money out of the country. ... A carpenter doing jobbing work for a neighbour charged £1 per day. Probably he may be worth it, tut these Indians are worth about 3s per day, compared' with a European at 10s to I2s per day. Knowing your position, and the class of men applying to you, I feel it my duty to inform you that these men need not be idle. I could do with three or four now, but wouldjnot pay day-labour to them.".