SHEARERS' AWARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19405, 13 August 1926, Page 8

SHEARERS' AWARD.

Sir, —Our Arbitration Court seems sadly out of touch with the real position of things. Recently it has raised the Shearers' Award half-a-crown in spite of the fact, which is acknowledged on all sides, that the farmer is having a very hard struggle. Wo are constantly being told that something must be done to stop this drift to the towns and encourage people to settle on the land. There seems a great deal more being done to drive them off the land than to get therii to go, or even to stay there. What earthly reason can there be for this award being increased at this tim<s ? Sheep are worth about only half the price, if that, that they were, this time last year. The farmers' expenses have not come down, but have in very many cases, owing to the increased taxation for roading, gone up. The majority of small farmers have long since realised that the wage-earner is on a far better wicket than they. Many have got out and joined the army of workers in the towns,, and a great number, of those left op the land are there only because they are so involved that they are forced to stay. Then as soon as there is some :unemployment in'the towns the Government is besieged with deputations to give the poor, starving workers something to »dd! There is a much stronger , argument in favour of lowering the award rather than raising it, and the time is coming when there will have to be a halt called to this pandering to the labourer, and to let the question of demand and supply have a greater weight. Small Sheep Farmer.