FARM WORKERS’ WAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1932, Page 3

FARM WORKERS’ WAGES.

i (To the Editor.) Sir, —May I be favoured with a short space in your correspondence column to answer a question a correspondent has coolness enough to put, viz., “When are the farmers going to wake up that they are paying their employees too muen to meet the times?” AU one can hear is, “We cockies are the backbone of the country; where would New Zealand be without the cocky?” In my opinion, and many others, where would the cocky be without the labour he gets? Seventy-five per cent, of the farmers are not really human and never know how to treat their employees, but still the patient plodding iarm hand slogs on, does the work and gets no credit and no thanks and little pay. If a union was made for the farm hand, with a demand for actual rights, the farmer would see if he is paying too large a salary and just what amount of work is done on the overtime basis. If there be a cut in the farm hands’ wages why not put a cut on his work and meet him in common fairness? No doubt the Scotchman who wrote the letter in Tuesdays ipsue never worked out of home for a living and had dependents to Aer p. If so, he never would have said, “When are the cockies going to wake up ?” Trusting this is sufficient to stop a humane farmer’s head from being turned in the direction of a wage cut for his employees.— l am, etc.,

FARM HAND. Mangatoki, June 9, 1932.