NEW ZEALAND’S POSITION

Southland Times, Issue 23693, 16 December 1938, Page 14

NEW ZEALAND’S POSITION

To The Editor

Sir, —Government Ministers are beginning to sit up and view with concern the rapidly diminishing overseas funds and the fast-falling production of the country, both agricultural and pastoral. Some time ago the Molesworth estate, Nelson, the largest grazing property in New Zealand, was closed down and the stock was sold because of increased and unprofitable working costs. Other runs and many farms are in a similar position through the scarcity of labour. There is one way only in which this can be remedied and until this plan is adopted, there is no hope of retrieving production. This plan is to make a 15 per cent, reduction on all wages and salaries other than farm wages and use the money thus saved to subsidize farm or station work, the present payment for which is ridiculously out of line with that for every other class of labour. The pay for farm work should be exactly the same as that for, say, public works, and in addition the farmer or station owner could supply free board to offset the more numerous hours of work each week on the farm.

At the present time the farm worker is offered £2 10/- for 60 hours as against £4 10/- to £5 for less than 40 hours on most ether work, especially public works, where there seems to be no one concerned how little is done. With this inequality is it any wonder that there is no labour offering for farms? The Prime Minister is reported to have said when addressing the Auckland strikers that nothing would be done except that it might be to further improve their positions. We are going straight ahead, he said. This reminds one of a sea captain who, seeing rocks ahead, refuses to alter his course and says to his men, “We are going straight ahead.” He does so—and his ship crashes and founders. That is just what the captain of New Zealand is doing and let every one be prepared, if possible, for the crash. Many are shifting their capital and themselves to Australia to avoid the inevitable.—Yours, etc., BREAKERS XHEAD. December 15, 1938.