WORKING HOURS ON FARMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21377, 29 December 1932, Page 11

WORKING HOURS ON FARMS

Sir, —There is a lot said about the long hours worked on a farm. Some correspondents put it down at 15 hours a day; it is a long day, no doubt, but I don t think it is the rule. For the sake of argument we will say 15 hours for six days, and six hours for Sunday—96 hours for the week, 384 hours in four weeks, for a wage of 25s a week and found, £8 for four weeks. This works out at 5d an hour. Out of this 8s wages tax has to be paid. It will be seen that the farm hand has not only to work long hours for small pay, but that he has to work- 19 hours every four weeks to pay the wages tax. I have read letters in the Herald written by men on relief works who say they will not work on a farm, the hours are too long, etc. Yet they do not mind other men, who do two or three hours work before the relief workers are out of bed in the morning, handing over a portion of their hard earnings to the relief worker to keep them "having a good time," as some of them have written. Fair-plat.