CORRESPONDENCE

Southland Times, Issue 19508, 6 May 1922, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE

FARMERS AND FARM LABOUR. To the Editor. Sir, —Please allow me a little more space to reply to ‘Farmer Giles’s” remarks on the above subject. He says that no reasonable person could call it anything but extravagance to spend 5/- a week on train fare in order to visit his home. Surely it is a coldhearted man who would make such a statement. Why shouldn’t I have the privilege of seeing my dear parents, brothers and sisters at least once a week? “Farmer Giles” also states that a man who wants home every week ia not much use to a farmer. Well, I fail to see how that can be so, as my weekly home-going lasts from 5 o'clock on Saturday night till 8 o’clock on Monday morning. Does he think that a ploughman should work all day Sunday as well? It would be very interesting to know how many holidays he thinks a ploughman should have in a year. I notice he carefully avoids stating why a farm worker should be kept working on Good Friday and Anzac Day when they are sacred days I note his advice that I should oe a town worker. I wish I was. Had 1 learnt a trade after leaving school instead of coming out into the country I would now be earning about £5 a week and perhaps more. ‘Farmer Giles” should have had more sense that to have said that it was the height of a lazy man’s ambition, sitting down and getting paid for it. A ploughman does not sit down while grooming his horses in the morning, and to do them properly it is hard work. I wonder how many farmers would allow their men to ride a horse while following the harrows. If the ground is a little damp it is necessary for the teamster to walk behind them and raise any of them which may clog up. Besides, in these hard times a farmer cannot afford to keep an extra horse for his ploughman to ride while working. Sitting on a seat on a set of discs looks very easy on a nice warm day but when a wind blows up, and fills one’s eyes with dust it is far from pleasant. Pd sooner be digging a ditch or cutting a gorse hedge instead of discing when it’s windy, any day. Sowing burnt lime is another very easy job until the lime gets into one’s eyes and then it’s enough to drive one mad. Reducing wages 50 per cent, would have been all right if all classes of workers had been treated alike and the cost of living reduced in proportion. It was not fair to reduce wages so much, as the farmers’ difficulty was not because of wages charges but because of capital charges. The average farmer who grows oate principally for his own use seldom has more than 4 to 5 hours’ threshing to do and to pay each man 7d an hour above the present rate (1/3) it would cost the farmer only 35/- extra, but would make a big difference to the mill men’s wages. It would certainly cost him about. £7 extra if he threshed for 20 hours but at the same time the mill would put through about £4OO worth of oate.

It might interest 'Farmer Giles” to know that I contribute half my wages towards the support of my home, and that leaves me 15/- on which to keep myself and buy my clothes. With regard to his remark about my refusing to pay for tobacco I may say that I don’t smoke for the simple reason that I cannot afford to. I wonder how married ploughmen are managing to exist if any are working for 30/- a week. I’m sure any sensible person will agree with me that a man needs more than the bare necessities of life and deserves at least half a day’s holiday a week. My ambition is to have a farm of my own some day, but how can I ever hope to save enough to start with if wages for farm workers remain as low as they are at present? Some time ago a correspondent, writing in your paper, suggested that ploughmen should have a union just the same as most other workers, but Fm afraid it would never be a success as farm workers would be too difficult to unite thoroughly like men in other industries. Instead, I suggest that farmers’ representatives and farm. workeW representatives should meet together and discuss the whole question of wages and working hours and then decide what is a fair wage for a teamster At present it is usually a case of the farmer trying to get his work done as cheaply as posable. I am, etc., “A COUNTRY WORKER ” May 5. EXPLANATORY. (To the Editor). Sir, — In your report of the Borough Council meeting last night, and reported in to-day’s issue, you give part of my letter to the Council. I had an invitation from the said Council to be present and make a statement on the subject matter of their letter to me. I was unable to be present, but sent a letter stating my reason for my non-attendance. This was really the most important part of the letter, and I shall be glad if you will supply the omission as I do not wish to appear discourteous to the Council in not availing myself of the opportunity of making a statement. I wrote to the Council explaining that the cause of my absence was unfortunately owing to my wife’s health. On reaching home on Monday at about 4.50 p.im, to my surprise, I found my wife in a state of utter collapse, lying helpless and unconscious on the floor. Her condition, I am sorry to say, was due to the fact that the Council’s bailiffs, who, I assume, were carrying out the instructions of the Council had illegally broken into our house and seized goods not belonging to me. Shame, I say, upon the Council for ordering and allowing such things. No wonder the matter has been passed over in silence, and I should not wonder that the Council feels ashamed that such things should happen to two of the oldest and best respected citizens of the borough. I feel sure, Sir, that your sense of justice and fair play will grant me the right of making this explanation. I am, etc. THOMAS HARRINGTON. ffi SriWHt 1922,