ON THE LAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8544, 26 March 1908, Page 3

ON THE LAND.

WHAT CAN BE DONE IN FIVE YEARS. A YOUNG FARMER'S EXPERIENCES. " I know if I had to earn my living as a wage-earner I would never think of going into tho town. I was brought up in a town, but though I was offered a job as book-keeper I would not take it. 1 would rather go and plough. . 1 know two boys working in a biscuit factory in town. One, 17 years of ago, is earning 17s 6cl per week; the other, 15 years of age, gets 15s per week; both have to iind themselves. I employ a boy just 16 years of ago wlio is earning £1 per week and found, and he is at a healthier occupation." Such arc two statements from the cvidonco given before the Conciliation Board at Rangiora (Canterbury) by Charles Morgan Williams, a farmer, 29 years of ago, at present farming 190 acres at Ohoka, whose experiences as detailed to tho Board show what, a man of intelligence and energy can do jsn the land in a comparatively short space of time. Five years ago Mr Williams came from England to New Zealand, with only fifteen months' experience of farm work -gained in tho Old Land. Before going on the land he had spent four years in the British postal service. At his first job Zealand, as general farm hand; he earned 17s 6d per week and found. After a short space of time ho went on a threshing-machine and got the same rate- of pay as tho other men employed on i.t. At tho end of his first six months in the Dominion he had £30 to his credit in tho savings bank; in addition ho had, out of his earnings, bought a tent, an outfit of working clothes, and had joined a benefit society. These results, he acknowledged, had given him " swelled head," and ho thought ho was worth a- groat deal more than ho was, and was not satisfied with the wages he was getting on a farm. He went as far south as Balclutha, but came back tho same as ho went away, with the exception that he was about £30 worse off. He resumed his work on farms in-the Kaiapoi district. When wet weather was experienced during threshing ho put in the time working for neighbours, and on one occasion ho went to Rangiora and bought cattle. After threshing .for two seasons and doing general rouseabout work, ho thought ho would like to learn to plough • —he had only driven horses in harrows and suchlike at Home. He therefore went to Mr R. Evans' farm at Swannanoa for a week, whore Mr Evans' sons initiated him into tho mysteries of "striking out." He got on fairly well with a three-horse team and double-furrow plough, and after half a clay's instruction ho was left to "strike out" for the other men. For this week's work he did not get and did nof expect. any wages. Afterwards he was able to take a job aw a ploughman, though he did not pretend to be a first-class ploughman. Ho ploughed first for Mr C. Blackmoro, of llorrellville, and then for Mr T. I). Blackmore. He had a very comfortable job with the last-named, and was close o the town of Kaiapoi. Every evening ho was a.t liberty to go to town, though iho was expected back at 9 p.m. to turn tho horses out. While at Mr Blackmorc's ho was able to attend the meetings of hie lodge, and also attended a technical class in carpentering and a mutual improvement society. After two yeare and a half of wageearning, pure and simple, including three threshing seasons, ho had accumulated in stock and money about £100. On May Ist, 1905, ho took a small leasehold farm of 30 acres, and during his first winter he was extremely hard up. To make ends meet ho did contract work, including potato digging and drain cleaning, and also did a liitlc dairy work. Ho was not able to do much of the latter class of work, as ho had to milk two cows of his own. and had liis own pigs to feed. Contract work was a great convenience to him, as ho- could start at 9 a.m. and knock off at 4 p.m., and get homo and do necessary work on his own place. At this time ho had a mate — a sailorman, who was quite unused to farm work. This man wanted a homo, ,and Mr Williams told him that he could stop with him, that he (Mr Williams) would find him in tucker, in return for which the sailor was to help him, but he was at liberty to take any work ho could got round about. Mr Williams at this period was not in a position to pay for labour. This man, he added, was stiil working for him, and had been gelling 6s per day from him for the past eighteen months. Mr.Williams lets three acics and a four-roomed house to him for £10 peT annum. Mr Williams added 80 acres to his holding, and six months ago his total area was 190 acres. In addition to employing tho sailor, he now employs a ploughman, who also assists with mill-ing, and a young fellow to r'o milking In addition ,he has about 60 head of cattle, 50 pigs, and sonw horses. During the period ho got married, nr.d though he has not cleared off all liabilities connected with his farm, he is buoyed up with the hope that he will ultimately do so. The demands of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Labourers' Union will not, he stated in his evidence, tend to assist men similarly situated to himself. Although he employs ihreo men on 190 acres, which is fa? above the average, he could double .the gross output of his farm if he could get. labour a groat deal cheaper than at present