BOYS' REMUNERATION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIII, Issue 25, 29 December 1942, Page 5

BOYS' REMUNERATION

WORK ON FARMS

(Press Assn.) AUCKLAND, Dec. 23. Grave dissatisfaction has followed the employment by commercial vegetable farmers in the Pukekohe district of Boy Scouts from Auckland, who went into camp at Bledisloe Park, and were engaged from December 15 till December 23 for six hours a day on surrounding farms. Since the Scouts returned to their homes for Christmas complaints have 'been made by the parents that the remuneration of the boys, who took all their gear and paid for their keep, was much below what they had been led to expect, being as little as ss, and it is alleged in some cases much smaller amounts, for seven days' work of six hours a day. When inquiries were made of officials of the Boy Scouts' Association it was stated that the organisers of tho camp were no less indignant than the parents of the boys. The question of remuneration as such was not considered so important as the fact that the organisers and boys had been given to understand certain things and that the actuality had proved very different. The boys felt that faith had been broken with them and the association took a very serious view of this. It' had boon intended to establish a second camp on January 4 with double the number of boys. In the meantime a full inquiry will be made in tho district by tho metropolitan president (Sir Joseph Smith) and the commissioner (Major 11. F. Ward) who will interview officials of the Commercial Growers' Association and the Primary Production Council. While expressing reluctance to make any comment on tho work done by tho Boy Scouts, members of the Franklin Growers' Association stated that the boys were paid at the ruling piece rates as promised and that the amounts earned depended entirely on their own efforts. The boys were given every type of work offering and in some cases were paid above the ruling rates. One grower said bo paid 2s 6d a case for picking beans, which was more than had over been paid before, and the beans realised only from 3s to 5s a case at the market. Maori girls of the same age as the boys earned £1 a clay at the same work. It was stated that after the first day, when the boys realised their earnings were to be pooled, there did not seem to be the same incentive to work. It was originally suggested by tho Boy Scout authorities thnt the boy 6 should be paid 4s for a five-hour day, but the Pukekohe Primary Production Committee contended that tho boys should have tho opportunity to cam as muc'.h as the men working beside them and this course was agreed to. The growers stressed the fact that they found no fault with the boys, having regard to their limitation.