THE FARMER’S WIFE

North Canterbury Gazette, Volume 6, Issue 63, 31 March 1937, Page 4

THE FARMER’S WIFE

It would be interesting to know, now that so many farmers are “on “budget,” what allowance is made for the labour, time, and sacrifice of the farmer’s wife. Do the Adjustment Commissioners, when cases are being heard, credit mortgagors with meals served and garments made outside the eight hours beyond which no city man will work, or is it still assumed that women will work the round of the clock however land-values are adjusted ? An American statistician attempted the other day to place a cash value on a farmer’s wife who was presumed to have lived on her farm for thirty years and reared eight children — more certainly than the . average wife in New Zealand now attempts —and his figures, though sometimes odd, lead him to an interesting conclusion. Here is his table, converted roughly into English figures (calling a dollar 4/- and a cent 4d): £ Meals served —235,426 at 7|d . 7,065 Garments made—3,l9o at 2/1 . 320 Chickens served—7,66o at 1/- ... 383 Eggs served—l27,7s2 at 7/fil doz. 320 Pounds butter served—s,46o at lOd 200 Galls, milk—2l,9oo at 5d ... 440 Galls, lard —1,500 at 4/- ... 300 Loaves bread—3s,soo at 5d ... 710 Cakes—4,6Bo at 1/- ' 234 Pies—7,96o at. 5d 160 Vegetables (bushels) —1,525 at 2/1 150 Jars fruit—3,62s at 1/- ... 180 Fresh fruit (quarts)—l,sso at 5d 31 Laundry (by piece)—l77,726 at lid ... 1,060 Cleanings (hours) —35,640 at 5d 715 Total Value Mother’s Work 12,268 Total Value Farm 10,000 Balance to Mother ... 2,268

Whatever we think of that statistician’s method, or of statistics in general, it will hardly be suggested that he has made an excessive allowance for labour. Since the average farmer’s wife in New Zealand works twelve hours a day at least, and often fifteen, and since her labour is worth at least one shilling an hour, her value after thirty years must be from £6OOO to £BOOO (to say nothing of the value added by the labour of the children).