THE SHAREMILKER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22694, 5 April 1937, Page 12

THE SHAREMILKER

' sir, —Please allow me space to answer "True Facts" letter in Friday's Hebald regarding share-milking. I am a sharemilker, and have to pay for all power, rubberware, all breakages, regardless of how old the articles which have broken may be. Also, I must pay for repairs of cream cans which have been in constant use for well over 10 years. Then, again, how about a herd which contracts mammitis, and what about farm labour, which is a big expense for a man who is only getting one-third. Anyhow, if "True Facts" knows of a herd where one can average £8 to £lO per week clear, fron) 80 cows, I would be glad to hear of it. • Yet Another Share-shlkeb.

Sir,—Please allow me space to reply to "True Facts." He says that "sharemilkers get £8 or £lO net profit per week, plus a free house, free milk and firewood." Twenty-five per cent of the houses would be condemned if the authorities were called upon to inspect them, the share-milker already owns a third of the milk he uses and the firewood, in most cases, is timber that is of no value for any other purpose. Does "True Facts" call the following making £8 or £lO net profit per week? 120 cows at 2001b. butter-fat per cow makes 24001b. butter-fat, of which the share-milker gets 8000. which is equivalent to £4OO- Pigs and calves i-epresent another £IOO for the sharemilker at the most, which makes £SOO gross returns. Wages and keep for two men come to £3oo', leaving £2OO to pay for power, rubberware. sundries, and wages and keep for himself and his wife, who has to milk because the contract is nearly always for four milkers in a herd of this size. Shake-milker.