FARMERS AND INSURANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 June 1925, Page 11

FARMERS AND INSURANCE.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —As you are prepared to always give consideration to any matters that concern the farming community generally, I would like to say a word or two On a subject that is oi paramount importance to the farmer particularly. I wish to deal as briefly as possible with the way the farmer is and has been treated by insurance companies. It has fl way# been the custom of farmers to take out an accident policy to cover any Xnan he may have working for him. Some farmers never constantly employ casuals, but to secure themselves take out the aforesaid policy, naturally thinking this covers any person working /or him, particularly at harvesting seacon. An accident happened in this district last season whereby a man assist- ! ing his neighbour was killed. Now, arising from this unfortunate affair, we, fanners learn that any man paying back time for time received does not 9ome under the award, and has no claim. To my mind this seems most unjust, for any sane man realises that time given is actually payment. I would like to know if any insurance company can tell me the difference between six men haymaking at each other’s farm for, say, six hours on the time-back system, *nd the six men receiving two shillings per hour for the six hours worked? It seems to me it Is just a technical point that the insurance companies are prepared to quibble over. Tor years and scores of years farmers have neen gullied by this piece of Ignorance which the insurance companies have apparently never made plain. Insurance companies hem alright as long as they receive the Pemiums, but paying out evidently

seems to hurt. In my own case during the past five years I always took out a policy expressly to cover, as I thought, my harvesters, and w T hen I asked the agent if this would cover all my harvesters, he emphatically stated yes, that it would cover any person working on my farm who may meet with an accident. Now, sir, I contend that it is just as reasonable for me to ask for a refund of my five years’ premiums as for the insurance companies to say they cannot P a y out on accidents arising through time being paid back. When I -brought this question up at the Farmers’ Union conference recently at Hawera, the whole conference seemed to be astounded to learn that such was the case.

I know of another farmer who has a policy for his men working on his farm, and on top of this always takes out a further £5O policy expressly to cover his harvesters, which in effect does not do so, but still his premiums were collected. This state of affairs has been going on for years, and the insurance companies have been the recipients of a huge sum of money, which could have been put to better use on the farms. Now, coming back to the accident referred to, it was common knowledge among local farmers that this particular gang (as we harvesters call ourselves) had entered into an agreement whereby each man was to receive two shillings per hour for his work, and although the accident happened'tinder this agreement I am given to understand that the insurance company, which is supposed to be catering particularly for the farmers, have up till now refused to pay out, but show a desire to test the case. I would like to see every branch of the Farmers’ Union take this matter up in view of the approaching season, and try to get some alteration mad© so that the farmers who cannot always get outside labour to assist them have to work among themselves.—l am, etc., H. THRUSH, ■Secretary Mangatoki Farmers’ Union.