WOMEN FARM WORKERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22390, 9 April 1936, Page 15

WOMEN FARM WORKERS

Sir, —When Mr. Savage took office, he stated that one of his intentions was to make it unnecessary for the women and children to have to go into the cowsheds. Yet his very first legislation is forcing them to do so, increasing the pay and shortening the hours of labour, before providing any help for the dairy farmer in his present difficulties, and so enabling him to pay higher wages, and is causing a number of men to leave the farm work and seek employment on public works at 14s a day with only 40 hours' work a week, and who can blame them. A number of dairy farmers would gladly do the same if they could arrango to do so. How can Mr. Savage expect men to refuse so tempting an offer, and what prospect has the dairy farmer of ever being able to offer similar wages and conditions. In the district I am living in, men have already left farms to take work on the Public Works. And as under the present conditions, it is absolutely impossible to get farm labour either in Auckland or in the country. The wives and children have been compelled to help in the shed. I could give instances of this, such as one farm, which had a competent helper, who left to work on the public works, and the wife had to take his place in the cowshed. Two farmers who, from illness, were unable to milk, and who tried everywhere to secure help, had to avail themselves of the wife's help, and all through the Government's increasing wages before helping the farmer. Reflex.