Letters To Editor Statements By M.P.

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 December 1950, Page 6

Letters To Editor

Statements By M.P.

Sir, —“A man is no success as a farmer if he cannot make his living within a 40-hour week.” This was said by Mr J. B. Kent, M.P. Does our M.P., our representative in the Capital City, infer that there are no successful. farmers on the West Coast in particular, and New Zealand in general, because that is the only deduction that can be made from such an ill-considered statement? It is the truth, pure and simple, that there 'are not five farmers in 100 who. work 40 hours or less a week, excluding wood chopping and gardening. A greater number probably could make a successful living within the 40-hour week, but production would fall and soon affect the economy of New Zealand as a whole. Ninety out of 100 farmers, I am sure, would not wish to work only 40 hours, because to restrict farming to set hours is foreign to the whole nature of farming, as stock and crops thrive best on attention when needed, and farmers are not so much interested in the clock as results. Our M.P. is also apparently very much out of tune and out of date regarding »his ideas on farming. For example, most farmers on the West Coast at least do not spend hours a week chopping wood, but by modern methods—tractor and saw-bench—-saw enough firewood in an hour to last fox’ two ox’ three weeks at least. Mr Kent’s statement is tantamount to saying that any housewife could also run her house on a 40-hour yyeek. Maybe she could, but what does the average housewife think about it? Much the same, I presume, as farmers will think of Mr Kent’s statement. If the ears of our M.P. have been tickling of late, he will not have to think over-much regarding which sections of the community are responsible.—Yours, etc., D. A. SADLER. Nelson Creek. Dec. 10.