THE AGRICULTURAL WORKERS ACT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22999, 30 September 1936, Page 6

THE AGRICULTURAL WORKERS ACT

TO THE 'EDITOR. Sir, —After reading the letter by “Waster” in last Wednesdays Daily Times, one cannot help thinking that he Is true to the type which I mentioned in your issue of September 23. As long as he gets a 40-hour week and 16s per day he is quite satisfied. He has not enough intelligence to know that if it were not for the man on the land his 16s per day job would not last very long. He seems to think that it is a crime that a man should have to work 80 hours per week. Personally, I think the man on the 80 hours job is a better man, both physically and mentally, than he believes. You know the old saying that Satan finds some evil still for idle hands to do, and Mr Savage and his merry men may find that out to their cost before very long. Having worked on jobs near public works camps and unemployment dumps, I know what the majority of the men do with their leisure. They drink beer and help to reproduce more of their own kind, and the Lord knows that the man who does do an honest day’s work has enough to contend with now without the Government encouraging parasites such as “Waster” to bring more like him into this world. “Waster” seems to be annoyed at my statement that the majority of the men on public works and Government relief schemes are useless individuals. But the Minister of Public Works, Mr Semple, must think the same as I do, because he said that any men suitable for farm work, etc., would be put off immediately. Now, Sir, for the special benefit of “Waster,” I would just like to say here that if the worst happens, I am independent of both the Labour Government and the farmers for a living, but, having worked on farms most of my life and knowing the conditions under which some farmers expect their men to work, I say that the sooner the farm hands have a union I he bet ter for themselves. What I i-annot see is why the Labour Government wants to take charge of everything. If the Government wants to

help the farm labourer, let it do so by cutting out the unemployment levy I am, etc., Farm Labourer. Clinton, September 28.