FARM WORK AND RELIEF WORK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21968, 27 November 1934, Page 13

FARM WORK AND RELIEF WORK

Sir,—May I correct your correspondent, " The Levy Hurts," on one or two points in regard to relief camps, tinder No. 5 scheme the Government does not supply radios to the camps. These are purchased by the men. Also we are not on contract, but at a set rate of pay if one may call it such. In this county our wheelbarrows ar,e 2} yard lorries, which are hired by the amount carted in a day, and each driver lias to show results. Our work is road building and entails' the handling of heavy base metal, blue metal and sand. As to the camps causing a shortage of farm labour, I should like to state, as an ex-farm hand myself, that out of the scores of men I know on the job I could not recommend six as fit for farm work, as they are mostly city men, either labourers or tradesmen. The majority of single men in this camp are elderly, some of whom draw war pensions. If the levy hurts so did those bullets and shells some of these poor fellows stopped during the World War. In these country camps the surroundings are nt least congenial and healthy, and although the pay is small the hours are reasonable. In my opinion the socalled scarcity of farm labour is caused by the existing conditions and hours on most farms. If they were better I feel sure that the farmer would have little cause to blame the camps for the scarcity of farm hands. Pannican Boss.