LABOUR ON THE FARM

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 28 January 1933, Page 7

LABOUR ON THE FARM

SCOTTISH FARMER’S ULTIMATUM • Most farmers will have hired their people for another year except n Berwickshire and other counties where the changes takes place m May (writes W. D. v.huk in the “North British Agriculturist” of November lit). What then are the thoughts that ate passing in the .minds of farmers and employees at the hiring or when tho new. year of labour begins r 1 have m mimi putting before each wo.Kdr before he is hired or re-lured tho 101 l n\ mg ultimatum :

W e are passing tl::\»ogh a v r„> d'.fficult time. Jt rjin no crop nor fj om i:.\ stock am 1 getting a prolit. In most cases 1 *.u; gett-n - back the •■u.sls. W ages in (x-ii.oruiLy with Jus should be less than one quarter what they are. If !am going to be able to pay you any wage at all (and 1 donotwisli you to have a small Mage) you Mill require to help. ■first* before agreeing to stay with me you should see if you can sell your labour to better advantage. If not, and you wish to stay, then you must agree to give of your best every- minute. But that is not all, you must see that every other one dues the same, it any worker loafs or does not move quickly with efficiency lie is stealing from you as. well as from me. because unless I, get returns 1 cannot pay you. If you want to hire with me you must agree to waste not a minute of your time (52-J- hours per u-eek) you agree to give me, and to do your best to stimulate the others to do the same. You must see that your jobs are finished up if possible before quitting and not look at your watch. It may take an hour or two to-morrow to do what you can in live or ten minutes today. Arid you’ must -watch all waste, stacks must- not be leit unprotected, carts put in the shed, and implements and tools laid away where they can be readily found. When .you see anything of that kind requiring attention which is not your job you should report to me, because any waste must eventually reflect itself on your wages.

EFFECTS Ob’ BAD WEATHER. Many times Lave you seen the bad effects’ of weather on crops and losses accruing. Now it is up to you.-to. cooperate -with me -in Keeping work so well forward that everything is done in season and as much risk as. possible avoided: 1 know that many ol - you will think that' is’not'.your business I uant to impress upon you that it is if you .want the decent wages I want you to- have. I must go further and say that unless you agree to accept the responsibilties I have indicated you are not to remain in my employ. •1 do- all this because 1 know you are a. lot of the best workers any farmer could wish to have. We have a good foreman who has your interest at heart as well as mine, but neither he uor I can be with you always, and you can greatly lighten our work if you take an interest in what is being done. The rural workers of Scotland and Northern England are the most intelligent in the world. Have we not one of them for Prime Minister at the piesent time? Use that intelligence j every minute and you M ill be happier las well as having the knowledge that | you are doing your best to save a great . industry and perhaps a great empire.

I STIMULATE TO GREATER j EFFICIENCY. • That is my ultimatum, and I personally do not intend to hire a single worker who.will not accept it. If ho accepts it he will live up to it. But net only so, he will stimulate me to greater efficiency, and though I have tried in this column to show that our troubles are out with ourselves l do more and more realise that if wc arc to “weather the storm” and benefit from any change in world i Due we must be efficient in everything we do ; Hot only doss co-operative efficiency j lighten the burdens of labour but it wall give . each labourer time for improving bis mental outlook,, thus en-

abling all -slavery to be taken out cf work. . But selling things at Ion; prices dees not necessarily mean efficiency. Our customers can buy too cheaply and do so when prices eventually killing production cause a shortage. In time tliev have to pay very high prices indeed. Look at potatoes! If they were never allowed to go below vest price they Mould never rise to Bio. per ton :is they have done once or twice. Unfortunately most middlemen do not realise the force of this because they get their commission or profit any nay. ■ It looks to me as it middlemen,- if they want tn retain their position, will have to pay more attention to the nreducer than they have been in the habit of doing. It they don’t do that they will he entirely cut out eventually.