A Tramp's Note-Book

NZ Truth, Issue 971, 5 July 1924, Page 9

A Tramp's Note-Book

Rural and Urban Labor

Criticism of Pay and Hours m the Country

Why Laborers Prefer Towns

The contributor of this article has kept a detailed record of his bid for fortune among rural occupations. He has numbered, for reference and for tabulation purposes, each of the jobs offered him. His findings of fact are most interesting, whatever may be thought of his deductions and opinions. (Contributed.) r

- How often have we heard the remark "plenty of work m the, country," made by Magistrates and others to those who are "down and out" and cannot find employment? And the statement is a perfectly true one, but those giving this philanthropic advice deliberately express half the truth, viz., that there is very little pay. From this short narrative of my own experiences during the' past two months, it will . be seen that the payments made for the work expected are, m most cases, little short of scandalous. But, before I continue, let me first say that we may take the town laborer's wage at a minimum of 14/- per day of 8 hours. This gives us, for the purposes of comparison, a basis of. £4 4s earned per week, out of which board and lodging, will not exceed £1 10s. This leaves the worker £2 14s of spending money. ' , JOBS REFUSED. Last summer . I found myself m the unenviable position of being stoney broke; with no prospects. I therefore decided to seek some of this work we have heard so much about m the country. I started off with 6/6 m my pocket, a soul full of hope, and a good constitution unabused at any time by drink;. :I walked to Upper Hutt, where I was offered (1) a job milking 5 cows, night and morning, gardening and odd jobs (including fencing); pay 17/6 per week and 'found. I refused the job,, naturally, for it w.as an absurdity. By the way, the job involved 98 hours work per week. I walked on to Featherston, where I was offered (2) a job loading gravel into drays; pay 26/---per week and found; total hours' per week, 48. I refused this too, . even though I only had 1/9 left. I walked on to Martinborough where I was offered .and .accepted (3) a week's gardening for 27/6 and found. At the end of the week I collected my miniature fortune, and walked oh to Greytbwn, where I was offered (4) a job milking 6 cows, a little ploughing and a little gardening, a -little fencing and some wood-chopping 4n my spare time, for 25/- per week and found. The job involved 84 hours work per week. I refused to be victimised. I walked on to Carterton,, where I was offered (5) a job machine-milking, with one assistant, a herd of 56 cows ( a great many heifers) for 22/6 per week and found. The work was equal to 60 hours per week. I told the "boss" (politely) that I wouldn't rob him of so. much of his hard-earned money. So Vvve parted. Next I hoofed it to Masterton, where I was offered a job that would commend itself alike to a watersider and to Sir Joseph Ward (both being financiers, the one with thousands, the other with empty pockets) . This job (6) consisted of work m a gravel pit for one week.fqjr. £3 0s 6d (1/3 per hour), "52 hours, Viyrork; find my own blankets, terity^ccioking utensils, and tucker. I would 'not accept this tempting offer. WQUlduyou?;;* At Eketahuna 'there was only ofre job (transmission poles) and as I would;. have had to go back to Masterton;: to' -get "put ' on," I bother.' Besides, the work is heavy enoogh-for a fit navvy, and 1 \by, this time I was beginning 'tp. get footsore and weary. At Pahiatua I got (7) a day's gardening for 12/-,- arid then wallced on to Woodville. Here I heard there might be work at about 30, miles from Dannevirke. I decided to go on to Palmerston. • . V At Palmerston, which I left, and returned to on a good many occasions, I was offered (over a period) quite a number of jobs. I accepted some and

refused others. The first job was (8) gardening, odd jobs, etc., £1 per week and found. I accepted this only to find on arrival that I could not (for family reasons) remain; this was real hard luck, losing the most suitable job offered to me during the whole of my search. NOT EQUAL TO QUARRY "WORK. The second, job (through Labor Bureau) was (9) at Mangahao. I walked from Shannon to Arapeti, arriving there at 3 p.m. I dug out the "boss rooster" and he told me to start m the quarry at 4 p.m. (shift 4 to.midnight), 13/4 per shift, six shifts per week, £1 5s deducted for board (rough indeed). Having got such a bad kick off, I was not really fit to do the work. So, after 3 shifts, I gave it up. The spirit was willing enough, but the flesh was aU too weak. The third job was (10) sorting and bench-loading (combined) m mill at 13/- per' day of 9 hours, with a deduction of 22/6 per week for board. I lasted one day, and went to bed with-; out my tea. I was "all out" arid could not get out -of bed next morning. It is the hardest day's work which any one can find to do. Of that lam sure and am assured. The fourth job was (11) porter at the hospital at £2 per week and found; 70 hours per week of npt heavy work, but I could not "come at" carrying out the corpses. The fifth job (12) -was the one%that deserves special mention. It was advertised as "Milk a few cows and gardening,. 30/- per week and found." When I got there I found that there were, sixteen cows, and the gardening was ploughing with a B-horse team m a kind of river bed, for 8 hours m addition to milking. This meant 111 hours per week. I was allowed (by courtesy) to sleep m the fowlhouse. I stood it for three days. Since my hands had: been, a good deal knocked about m the Arapeti quarry, and I was run down, the milking caused blood poisonirfg or cow pox, and my hands are how m a disgraceful state. The sixth job offered me was (13) ploughing with a four-horse team m a swamp (for, 11/- per acre) of flax roots, manuka and other such rubbish; I declined, and decided to return via Masterton. I found nothing inPahiatua this time. . In Masterton I got some help from a friend,* and a few days later was offered (14) a job pruning at 12/- per day. Only an expert can dp .this work, and an expert is worth at least 25/- per day. ■ I refused, on principle.. In Featherston the original offer was repeated and was again declined. '■■' • , KNOCKED OUT. The Easter holidays being on when I reached, Masterton and Carterton, I missed the chance of Electric Power Board work. ' In any case, I was so out of sorts, so run down, and so physically unlit that I could not do anything at all heavy. I arrived back m Wellington on Easter Monday about two stone lighter. Before I tabulate the results of .my wanderings, 1 let me refer to the work of shepherds on sheep stations. They are paid 30/- per week and they are. found, but it does not cost the boss any more than 12/- per head. And the same applies m nearly all cases where the worker is "found." Therefore m tabulated form it shows very clearly how unfavorably the country workers' pay. compares with that of the town laborer.

Job Weekly Hours Rate Cost Board Spending total No. pay week hour living allow. money earnings Town Laborer ..440 48 1 9 110 0 — 214 0 440 Shepherds .. 110 0 60 6 — 12 0 110 0 2 2 0 1 17 6 98 32/3 —12 0 17 6 19 6 2 15 0 48 914 — 12 .0 15 0 117 0 3 ...... ..... 1 7 6 48 10 — 12 0 176 119 6 4 15 0 84 si.i — ' 12 0 1 5 0 117 0 5 12 6 60 . 7 — 12 0 1 2 6 114 6 6 3 0 6 52 10% alfe — . nil 3 0 6 7 "3 12 0 48 1 6 110 , 0 — 2 2 0 3 -12 0 8 .......'.. 10 0 52 71/5 — 12 0 1 0 0 112 0 9 4 0 0 48 IS 15 0 — 2 5 0 4 0 0 10.. 318 0 54 1 5% 1 2 6 — 215 0 318 0 11 ... 2 0 0 70 9 — 12 0 200 212 0 12..... 110 0 111 4% — 12 0 110 0 2 2 0 13 Impossible to compute. 14 ....' 312 0 48 1 6 110 0 — 2 2 0 312 0