WELLINGTON NOTES.

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 July 1907, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

ORGANISATION OF FARM LABOUR. [EV TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL TO STAR] WELLINGTON, This Day. Correspondence is now being received from all parts of the North Island by Mr Andrew Collins on the subject of the organisation of farm labour. Air Collins quotes the following as a typical letter from a farm manager, who complains that no provision is made for managers in the Canterbury demands. Thu manager writes : ‘When .1 state my ease I think you will admit that we are as badly paid as anyone mi the farm considering our responsibility. I know of others much (he same. Up till the end of last week I was for four years the working man tiger of a 640 aero sheep farm, with a mortgage of £3OOO on it, and my salary was £llO per year and found in meat, butter and milk equal to another £2O. I was compelled to leave owing to the serious illness of my wife. I am now the working manager on a 1300 acre sheep farm clear of debt, and the best offer i can get from the owner is £l2O a year and found in butter and

and the owner expects mo to find and pay a housekeeper out of that. I cannot do it, of course, and I must go elsewhere. The salary on the 640 acre place was a fair thing, but on a larm double the size and carrying more than double the stock the salary should at least be £l5O per year when

the in anager has to find almost everything and pay a housekeeper out of liis own pocket. PAYMENT OF STEWARDS. The question of the propriety of pay ing bonuses to the officials of clubs was discussed at the last meeting of the Hull Valley Trotting Club, apx-o-pos of tho report which, showed the club to be in an unlinancial position. Mr R. W. Short commented that there must have been some mismanages incut somewhere in the club's affairs to place it in such a position after having such satisfactory receipts from its last meeting. Tho stewards had been lavish in granting bonuses, and his opinion was that tliej' should have first ascertianed the financial position of the club. Since there had been a deficit occasioned it seemed to him that certain receivers should return at least half of their bonuses. Air W. Pollock said that when (lie money was granted the stewards were all of tho opinion that the club had been well ‘boomed’ at tlio last meeting, and its prospects were now excellent. Air CWilson expressed the opinion that in the future no bonuses should be grantoil until there was a clear report and balance sheet on the table, and a motion lo that effect was granted.

A PITIABLE CASE. A case which the chairman considered ‘one -tf the most wretched that had come up for a long time’ was before | tho Benevolent Trustees. A woman ' thirty six years of ago told the story. | She had been married twice, and during the last six. years bad been living with a labourer, who left her last week without any warning or any money. Her furniture was taken from her to pay for back rent, and now she and her four children wore starving in one room. She had not a penny, and was on tho verge of more trouble. ‘Tours has been a strange kind of life, hasn't it?’ observed the chairman. , ‘Yes,’ replied the woman.. Tvo been a fool, I know, but I didn't think that j I would bo left like this.’ The Trustees agreed that they had no altema- | live but to grant rent and rations, but 1 it was decided to make every endeavour to get the children away from such a condition of life. ‘But,’ added Mr Robertson, ‘some of theso men ought io bo made to see the mark. We can not allow this sort of thing to go «on without opposition.’ ‘That is so,’ said the chairman, ‘but in tho meantime we must provide for'tho woman and children.’