FARM MANAGERS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3783, 17 July 1936, Page 7

FARM MANAGERS

SCHEME FOR RELIEF DURING ILLNESS. FARMERS’ UNION PROJECT. Some two months ago the Te Awamutu branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union propounded a scheme for providing one or more farm managers to act as executives on farms where the owners are incapacitated by illness or accident. The scheme was advanced at the provincial conference at Auckland. Now comes something more definite, for the following circular has been issued:— CIRCULAR. The Executives of the Te Awamutu, Ohaupo, Ahohena, and Ngahinepouri Branches of the Farmers’ Union have at the request of many farmers in their districts undertaken to bring into being a scheme whereby relieving Farm Managers would be available to members of the Union, should they r through sickness or accident, be unable to carry on their work, or should they wish to spend a week or two at the seaside, or other recreation, and desire to rest assured that their farms are being carried on in an efficent manner. The Union has already had many applications for the position from thoroughly reliable, experienced men, and all that is now required is your support and co-op-eration. The scheme when in operation will enable you to obtain the services of a man of ability and character, and the Union urges you to fill in the enclosed application' form and forward it to the Labour Secretary, before July 31st, 1936. RELIEVING FARM MANAGERS. That a Labour Committee be set up within the Executive of Branches, together with a Labour Secretary, to carry out the work in connection with the scheme. That this scheme should be confined to Union members. We suggest that all Union members who wish to come under the scheme should pay an annual subscription of £l, thus ensuring that a fund be established, whereby the Group would be enabled to guarantee the full time wayyes of the. manager appointed. That this scheme be confined to two areas for the first year and the Province be asked to guarantee up to £25 for each area to start the scheme for the first year. All members of the group who subscribe to this fund would have preference of a manager’s services. The only time a manager’s services would be available outside the group would be when his services were not required by group members for any’ purpose. Any member outside the group who obtained the services of the manager in case of- sickness or otherwise, should be required to pay full rates. All group members would, in case of sickness or accident, receive the services of the manager at half rates for a maximum period of two weeks in any one year. This would be the maximum period of service unless the manager’s servides were not required elsewhere; but further service in this case would be at full rates. All group members who require the manager’s services for purposes other than sickness or accident would be required to pay full rates. That all farmers who require the manager’s services in case of sickness or accident be obliged to furnish the labour secretary with a doctor’s certificate or notification by a doctor. The rate of wage to be fixed by the Labour Committee. The travelling expenses of the manager to be paid by each member requiring his services. The group committee ihay appoint further casual managers, preferably resident in different districts, whose services would be available at all times when required, but no payment be made to them for stand-down time. All Union members outside the Group be required to pay full rates of wages, plus 5s each week to the Special Fund for each week the manager is engaged.