The Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28, 1949. STATUS OF FARM WORKERS

Grey River Argus, 28 September 1949, Page 4

The Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28, 1949. STATUS OF FARM WORKERS

'J'HERE is now an increase annually of about ten thousand in the number of workers in' New Zealand, and the spread of manufacturing has served to augment the labour supply, offering employment to persons who otherwise might lack an opportunity. It is a fact, however, that mechanical progress steadily increases the productivity per capita, and this applies to rural as well as urban industry. Contrary to the complaints regarding the townward trend of population, it is a fact that rural industry to-day in the Dominion is manned more fully than many of the manufacturing industries. The shortage of labour in farming is actually fewer than eight, hundred for the whole country. There are reported to be shortages in the textile, leather and clothing factories of five thousand workers; in the building trade of three thousand five hundred: in the transport industry of three thousand five hundred, and in administrative and professional channels of three thousand. Last year secondary industries increased their labour forces by 3.600; transport by 3,000; distribution by 1,800, and domestic services by 1,700. If there were a small decline in farm workers, it was not the fault of the Government. During the 14 years of its term farm workers have had wages raised from £1 2s 3d per week to £6 6s, and general farm hands’ wages increased from £1 0s lid in 1935 to £6 6s 6d in 1949. It is due to the Government’s initiative that the rural employers now concede that housing should be bettered for such -workers, During the 14 years of Nationalist rule prior to 1935, the average weekly wage of general farm hands fell from £2 15s to £1 0s lid, a 60 per cent, drop, compared with the 400 per cent, rise since 1935. Until 1936, these general farm labourers had no protection, applications for awards failing in 1919 and in 1925, and the workers were too scattered for effective organisation until flic Agricultural Workers’ Act of .1936. They could be paid any wages the employers liked, and had neither overtime payment, a limit to working hours, nor paid holidays. The Act in question extended organisation to farmers producing meat, wool, grain; to orchards, market gardens, fruit gardens, and tobacco growing. In July last the wage rate for adult male dairy farm workers was £6 6s 6d weekly, with board, or £7 Us 6d without. In 1933, -weekly wages rates were: Dairy farm workers 17s 6d, farm and stations 17s 6d; orchard workers £1 18s 6d, market gardens £1 18s 6d; tobacco growers Is pei‘ hour. There is every justification for the claim that the Government has contributed to conserve the supply of rural labour, and it is now being asked to go further and provide State housing for farm workers. That it will do so may he expected, as the State housing policy is firmly established. The trend already is towards a readjustment of population in favour of primary production, and the Government can he relied on to favour that trend by every means, because the importance of primary production, especially for export, is second to no other form of production. The significant fact of the .matter, however, is that this Government has not only bettered the lot of the rural workers, but is non' expected by their employers to go still further with State housing assistance.