FACTORY WORKERS' CONDITIONS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 13 October 1922, Page 4

FACTORY WORKERS' CONDITIONS

• To the Editor. Sir, —I should like to again reply to "Working Farmer's" letter to your paper and inform him he is getting away from line point. But, nevertheless, with regard to the number of days worked per week, it is quite possible ''Working Farmer's' 3 friend had a day off a week, but he did, not get paid for it, unless he was an exception. As ( a rule we get a day off when there is a full staff; that is if there are twelve men working in a; factory he gets a day off every twelfth day., but does not get paid for it. "Working Farmer" states some of the hard works. In my opinion shovelling metal'is the hardest work; I: know this because I have'tried them all, with .the exception of pitching sheaves to the board of a thrashing mill, but for more than eight hours a day. I cehsider cheese-making as hard as any. and for the most part unhealthy. With re-

1 gard to the low rate of pay he received, let me inform him this is ' the year i 1922, not 1822, and that he gets more than four times the price for his products. He speaks of; unions and agitators. "W^hat of the Dairy Employers' | Union, the Farmers' Union and many others. What are they for—to reduce the men's wages' for one thing, arid j take all for themselves for the other/ jAs to agitators, we want'one of them ! in our factory, but only just and commonsense men. He also refers to writi. i»g to the paper. Surely, if the wages . are cut down, "Ww^ing Farmer will allow us this privilege and help to inform the uninitiated ones of the perils I and possibilities of a. dairy worker's j hfe. He also refers to the directors. I Well some, I am glad to say. are Inclined to be just, but the others disagree, as they are afraid they will not !be able to pay enough income tax or have enough motor cars. Perhaps "Working Farmer is ashamed to hear of the condition under which we work. I can picture him as a very good man ,to work for. He says he did not exnpress the opinion that wages were too j high or too low. If not, then he does , now. He also writes that wages should ! be governed by the marketed price of j the commodity produced. .Well, what I about when some companies were paying out from 2s to 3s per pound buy ; ter-fat. Does he think the wages . Were governed by the price of products? And is he not satisfied with the price companies are receiving; for .their produce at the present time? , Perhaps he would like to see the workI men's wages reduced a little more so • that farmers can have a little more for j cars, etc. Let me say, all we want lis to be; paid for our labour ' not for j the price of cheese or butter * "Work- ! ing Farmer states that he often looks j back to the time when wages were ' low. Lot him look back to before the war and see the price of butter and cheese and the wages pa^ +o the dairy workers then. Let him look to the' year 1922 and see the price of cheese and butter and the wages paid to dairy workers. "Working; Farmer" wil!

S??W Bu£ \°° k at the- Price of land etc^ Well, the people of New Zealand were warned by the best authority not to speculate rashly. If he cut his throat it does not follow that we are going to. It is a »?ood job there are some soft fellows like myself to help the farmers retire and live in the land of peace and plenty. And now ■sn\ while thanking you 'for your valuable^ space, let me close,, as lam slightly tired after my 14 hours' dairy work to-day, and all for 125,—1 am, etc OVERPAID.