THE DRIFT FROM THE FARMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23358, 29 May 1939, Page 12

THE DRIFT FROM THE FARMS

j Sir. —1 shall be glad of an opportunity , to reply to "Farmer's Daughter." It j is high time that someone exploded the j fallacy that. public '■■ works "are being , made too attractive with their short (hours and long pay." 1" don't. know I why the Opposition should keep'harp-, ing on that particular string, because for the last •'!() years, to my definite knowledge young men in general have preferred other occupations to farming. The agricultural bias was going out of fashion even then. I Why should public works he specially sorted out for castigation in the endefc vour to establish a reason for-this drift'*--, from tiro farms? Secondary education, ! stiff-collar jobs and other urban occupations, besides the factories, sawmills, quarries, mines, etc., have been responsible for more men leaving or avoidmS | "the laud*' than the Public Works Department lias everS'been guilty of. If "Farmer's Daughter' 1 lias the least j acquaintance with awards she .must know that public works men. -if when working by the day. get £<& l day less than the basic wage for ourers awarded by the Arbitration Court when it sat- in W)7. . .Mr. Seinplo. however, is, the sole arbitrator tor his own men. I'lirther, they get actually no more money at His per dav than thev- did in ' 1.-ts 4d, under Mr; ('nates as Minister of the Public Works Department. > cost of living is now higher, than eve before and the tax leaves litem I[ ' los 2d for five days only. I hen titer is the quarterly levy and -•>> for pulsory membership in union that practically imppiom. All these de»ni • tions don't leave very much it a litis supposed to support a v.ue -a family. , Outdoor workers paid by toe da. - . every hour they do not work, ® men paid by the w : cA. as on lain- .j* their wages, such as they are, con ouslv, wet or dry. „ ;f 1 would ask "Farmer's Daughter she thinks the .public works is the _ industry that has to spend ||_ 10U s , 1)S of pounds' on equipment.'t - j/ quite a number ot tanners i< 1 works as more or less useless. _ follow that argument to its lo " 1( '.' • |, TeS elusion, perhaps no roads or » should ever have been c<) , Then how would they like sho ' L all d d. their cream cans, through swat' - over fences, to the factory,