TIRED HARVESTERS

Evening Star, Issue 21317, 23 January 1933, Page 10

TIRED HARVESTERS

PREFER STATE AID A few days ago the .Sydney ‘ Morning Herald ’ published a news from the Rivcrina district which supplies material for serious reflection. The farmers in this district, having exceptionally heavy crops to handle, employed some additional labour, partly to ensure that the grain would be taken in rapidly, as a precaution against bush fire losses. They also claim that they were actuated by an honest desire to give employment and “to ease the State's burden in dole payments.” They assert, however, that many of the men, after being idle so long, could not get through a day’s work. More than this, they allege that the constant receipt of rations apparently had made them indifferent whether they worked or not, sq much so that after a few days' trial' some of the men gave up the effort to work, .stating that it was too much for them and that they need not worry as the State would give them food. It must be borne in mind that'lack of industrial efficiency is ono of the inevitable consequences of unemployment, especially when the “workless worker” has boon a long time on an inadequate dietary scale. Men starting such heavy work as harvesting after being on the dole so long would find themselves unable to maintain their efforts at high pressure for any great length of time, but apart from the attitude of the men there is the attitude of the employers also to bo considered. Recently, at Grafton, a. .departmental inquiry was held into complaints made by returned soldiers about the treatment to which they have been subjected by the engineer, the ganger, and other officials in charge, while engaged on local relief work. The men declared that they were constantly abused by the foreman for not doing more in a given time, but they maintained that they were working as hard as their strength would permit, and that they were all weak from long periods on dole rations. Some light was thrown on the situation by language which the ganger was said to have used to some of the men: “ You have put the Stevens Government in power, and you will put up with their conditions. Some of you will have wet shirts, I’ll bet.” Unfortunately, there is more than a. suspicion that the altitude of certain classes of officials toward the workers just now is coloured by political prejudices. Also, it is quite certain that many employers, especially in the country districts, hold strongly that State aid to the wage earners—though not to the farmer —is always injurious and demoralising. As rogatds. the effects of the dole, the people who condemn it too often lose sight of the alternative, which is simply starvation: It may be true that the Worst arid weakest type of worker is liable, under the influence of State aid, to lapse into chronic idleness and irresponsibility. But that is no excuse for indicting the whole body of workers, nor docs it justify any employer in ignoring the very great difficulties that all wage earners have to face when, after a prolonged period of inaction on only a limited supply of food, they arc suddenly forced to make strenuous exertions again. The position is a difficult one for all concerned, but it will not be improved by the public announcement of the • Rivcrina farmers (hat “the dole has sapped the manhood and the viltality of its recipients.”